Dodgers trade a plethora of prospects for a double play combination that might be the best in LAD history.
If Justin Turner can stay healthy enough to play most of the time for the rest of 2018, Brian Dozier and Manny Machado will be the Dodgers double play combination and for the life of me, I can’t think of a better combination in LAD history. The same could have been said if the combination was Corey Seager and Brian Dozier.
Gilliam / Wills from 60 – 64 was good but better than Dozier / Machado?
Lefebvre / Wills in 65/66 was good but better than Dozier/Machado?
Lopes / Russell from 73 – 81 was good but better than Dozier / Machado?
Kent / Furcal from 2006 – 2008 was good but better than Dozier / Machado?
Of course for this to mean anything, Brian Dozier will need to hit like he did in 2016 and 2017 and not what he’s hitting right now. If he does though, we could be looking at the best double play combination in LAD history and in Dodger history since the heyday of Jackie Robinson and Pee Wee Reese.
The Dodgers accomplished all this without gving up any prospects that dented my heart.
To be fair, when the Dodgers traded Yordan Alvarez for Josh Fields I didn’t really care either because I liked Fields and didn’t know much about Alvarez other than he was another Cuban bonus baby so my expectations were low for him.
A few years later, it is easily the one trade that the Dodgers probably wish they had talked Houston into a different player. Maybe even a different Cuban with the first letter of Y and the last name of Alvarez . Maybe this is normal in Cuba but the Dodgers had Yordan Alvarez and Yadier Alvarez both Cuban bonus babies. They held onto Yadier and traded Yordon.
Anyway, this year the Dodgers traded these guys.
From the Baseball Reference Transaction Page for the 2018 Dodgers:
July 4, 2018
Traded James Marinan (minors) and Aneurys Zabala (minors) to the Cincinnati Reds. Received Dylan Floro, Zach Neal and international bonus slot money.
July 11, 2018
Selected Zac Rosscup off waivers from the Colorado Rockies.
July 18, 2018
Traded Rylan Bannon (minors), Yusniel Diaz (minors), Dean Kremer (minors), Zach Pop (minors) and Breyvic Valera to the Baltimore Orioles. Received Manny Machado.
July 31, 2018
Traded Corey Copping (minors) to the Toronto Blue Jays. Received John Axford.
Traded Luke Raley (minors), Devin Smeltzer (minors) and Logan Forsythe to the Minnesota Twins. Received Brian Dozier.
Don’t get me wrong, I did like the promise of Diaz, the growth of Rylan Bannon, and enticing future for James Marinan but given the return of Manny Machado, Brian Dozier, and Dylan Floro I didn’t bat an eye on the price.
The Dodgers have also made it easier for me by trading both Dean Kremer and Devin Smeltzer so that I won’t confuse them anymore.
- Posted in: Uncategorized
- Tagged: Aneurys Zabala, Bill Russell, Breyvic Valera, Brian Dozier, Corey Copping, Davey Lopes, Dean Kremer, Devin Smeltzer, James Marinan, Jeff Kent, Jim Lefebvre, John Axford, Junior Gilliam, Luke Raley, Manny Machado, Maury Wills, Rafy Furcal, Rylan Bannon, Yusniel Diaz, Zac Rosscup, Zach Pop
Dodgers, Yesterday and Today 