Los Angeles Dodgers front office head Andrew Friedman knows full well that they must make upgrades during the winter if they want to overcome last season’s premature playoff exit.
It’s one of the reasons why Dodgers trade rumors have been the name of the game during the early portion of the offseason. That obviously includes Big Blue being linked to two-way Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani in MLB free agency.
However, Los Angeles also has needs in the starting rotation and at shortstop. It led to one unnamed team executive telling MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand that the Dodgers could look to pull off a blockbuster trade with the Milwaukee Brewers that would net them ace starting pitcher Corbin Burnes and shortstop Willy Adames.
This would be an absolutely huge blockbuster for the defending National League West champions. The rumors also don’t come out of left field with the Milwaukee Brewers widely believed to be listening to any player on their roster.
Starting pitching is an obvious need for the Dodgers after Clayton Kershaw indicated that he’d miss a large chunk of next season following shoulder surgery. Veteran Lance Lynn signed with the St. Louis Cardinals earlier on Monday. Meanwhile, Julio Urias is a free agent and won’t be back given his off-field issues.
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Blockbuster Los Angeles Dodgers trade with Milwaukee Brewers makes sense
If Milwaukee is going into full-scale rebuild mode, picking from the Dodgers’ farm system could be the way to go. According to MLB.com, the Dodgers’ farm system ranked No. 2 at the start of the season behind the Baltimore Orioles.
As for the Dodgers, acquiring Burnes and Adames would change the dynamics big time moving forward this winter.
Burnes, 29, earned the National League Cy Young with the Brewers back in 2021, pitching to an 11-5 record with a 2.43 ERA while boasting a 0.94 WHIP. While he was not as good this past season (3.39/1.07 WHIP), we’re talking about an ace in the truest sense of the term.
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As for Adames, shortstop was a major weak link for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2023. Players at this position posted a mere .290 on-base percentage. Gavin Lux could take over as the starter after missing last season with a torn ACL and torn LCL. But there needs to be another plan.
Adames would provide a ton of power from the middle infield spot. He’s hit 75 homers over the past three seasons, including 24 in 2023. While he hit only .217 for the Brewers, that pop can’t go unnoticed.
As for a potential return for these two stars, infielder Michael Busch and starting pitcher Gavin Stone could be included in the ask from Milwaukee. They rank second and fifth in the Dodgers’ farm system, respectively.