Dodgers Rumors: Ten trade targets for the Dodgers
By Jason Reed
Evan Gattis
The Los Angeles Dodgers are fairly suited at the catchers position with slugging Yasmani Grandal and young gun Austin Barnes. While it may not be the number one area of need for the Dodgers, it would not be all that surprising if we saw the team attempt to get even deeper. The perfect platoon partner for Grandal would be Gattis, and the trade itself would be perfect for both sides.
The Houston Astros stocked up on their offense last offseason, that is no doubt. New guys Brian McCann and Carlos Beltran are two guys that are directly impacting Gattis’ playing time. McCann now sees the majority of the time behind the plate, and Beltran is the primary DH. What the Astros need is pitching, and the Dodgers have a lot of that.
A straight swap between Gattis and Alex Wood would be possible for both sides, and would be the best of both worlds. The Dodgers would be giving up a rotation caliber guy that they are likely going to throw in the bullpen, and the Astros are giving up a bat they do not need. Now, the Dodgers would have two outstanding hitting catchers.
Setting up a right-handed, left-handed hitting platoon would give the Dodgers the most productive back stop in all of baseball. Sure, neither guy would lead the league in hitting as they would both see reduced playing time, but together they could combine for the best catching numbers we have seen. It may be unlikely, but it makes a lot of sense for the Dodgers and Astros.