White Sox, Dodgers Could Be Trading Partners This Offseason
White Sox, Dodgers would match up well in trade this offseason. Dodgers have a need for a starting pitcher, third baseman and closer.
The Chicago White Sox could have a perfect trading partner this offseason according to reports. According to Jeff Passan at Yahoo Sports, the Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers could be perfect trading partners.
With the Sox willing to listen to offers for Chris Sale and Todd Frazier, the Dodgers could provide the perfect return to the Sox. The Dodgers will also need a closer if they lost Kenley Jansen to free agency. This would put current Sox closer David Robertson as a good trade candidate for the Dodgers.
The Dodgers have a solid farm system and could provide a satisfactory return for the Sox according to mlbtraderumors.com. With the Sox also interested in outfiedler Yasiel Puig, a trade with Los Angeles could very well happen. According to mlbtraderumors.com, the Sox also like Dodgers prospects Cody Bellinger, Alex Verdugo, Jose DeLeon and Willie Calhoun. Bellinger is the Dodgers current top prospect and can play first base or in the outfield. He is also listed as the 31st top prospect in baseball. Bellinger hit .263 in 114 games for Double-A Tulsa Drillers in 2016 with 23 home runs and 65 RBIs.
DeLeon is the Dodgers second top prospect, and 32nd overall according to mlbpipeline.com. DeLeon is a right handed pitcher and went 7-1 with Triple A Oklahoma City Dodgers. In 16 starts for Oklahoma City this past season, DeLeon posted a 2.81 ERA with 111 strikeouts. If the Sox were to receive DeLeon as part of a trade, this could mitigate the loss of Sale to the starting rotation.
Verdugo is an outfielder in the Dodgers organization and their third top prospect. The outfielder is also listed as the 45th top prospect in baseball, and hit .273 in 126 games for Tulsa this past season. Calhoun, the Dodgers fourth top prospect and 87th overall also played this past season with Tulsa. The 22-year old second baseman hit .254 with the Drillers to go along with 27 home runs and 88 RBIs.
If the Dodgers are going to part with any or all of these players, it will most certainly be for Sale and possibly Frazier. With the Dodgers possibly losing third baseman Justin Turner to free agency, they could have to pay a hefty price in terms of prospects to replace Turner. Frazier alone wouldn’t command any of the Dodgers top prospects, but a package involving him and possibly Sale could fetch Los Angeles top four prospects.
The Sox will be busy this offseason as they contemplate the best return for their best player in Sale. With the Atlanta Braves reportedly targeting Sale also, they could get in a bidding war with the Dodgers. This will only benefit the Sox. However, the front office must ensure they get the absolute best return for Sale if they trade him.
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