The Los Angeles Dodgers have been linked to Milwaukee Brewers ace pitcher Corbin Burnes in trade talks this winter.
Los Angeles desperately needs help in the rotation with Clayton Kershaw currently a free agent and likely to miss the majority of next season. Julio Urias is a free agent. He won’t be back. Meanwhile, veteran Lance Lynn signed with the National League rival St. Louis Cardinals earlier in free agency.
A previous report also indicated that Los Angeles could expand a trade with Milwaukee to include shortstop Willy Adames heading to Southern California.
We now have some more information on this courtesy of Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The MLB insider indicates that the Dodgers could include former No. 1 prospect Gavin Lux in a deal to acquire both Burnes and Adames from Milwaukee.
Per MLB.com, Lux was the Dodgers’ top-ranked prospect heading into the 2020 season. He had performed pretty well through parts of four seasons with Los Angeles prior to missing the entire 2023 campaign due to a knee injury. Rosenthal notes that Lux would take over as the Brewers’ starting second baseman with Brice Turang moving to short.
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Los Angeles Dodgers blockbuster trade would include other parts
Lux, 26, wouldn’t necessarily be the headliner in this deal. But it would lead to changing dynamics within the Dodgers’ organization. Manager Dave Roberts just recently announced that star Mookie Betts is moving to second base on a full-time basis.
Adding Adames to the mix would create a powerful offensive duo up the middle within the infield. Adames, 28, has hit 55 homers with 178 RBI over the past two seasons.
Though, acquiring Burnes would be the bigger deal for a Dodgers team that needs pitching. The 29-year-old starter earned the National League Cy Young award in 2021, pitching to a 2.43 ERA and 0.94 WHIP while striking out 12.6 batters per nine innings.
As for a potential return for Milwaukee, pitchers Nick Frasso or Gavin Stone would likely be included in an expanded blockbuster. Frasso is currently the Dodgers’ No. 4 prospect with Stone coming in at five.