Los Angeles Dodgers: What the Dodgers should do with a crowded outfield
By Jason Reed
2. Don’t trade potential trade chips, Alex Verdugo and Yasiel Puig, keep Andrew Toles for depth
With so many different variables heading into the offseason with the outfielders, anyone is fair game to be traded and I would not be surprised to see any combination of these guys parting ways with LA in the winter.
When it comes to those the Dodgers definitely should not trade no matter what, the list is short with just Yasiel Puig and Alex Verdugo.
Puig has been on the block before and was reportedly offered for Bryce Harper at the end of August. While that never came to fruition, Puig has been in the trade rumors his entire career and they will not stop this winter.
However, due to his great defense and ability to be a non-platoon option, Puig is extremely valuable and has earned his right to stay. If he walks away in free agency next winter then fine. At least give him a seventh shot at winning it all in LA.
As for Verdugo, he is arguably the most likely to be dealt this winter. He is the Dodgers best prospect but is big league ready and cannot spend another year in AAA OKC. With players on the roster blocking him, the Dodgers could theoretically get more for him as a centerpiece in a deal.
I would rather have Verdugo be the team’s left-handed hitting outfielder and Joc Pederson. He is a better all-around hitter and is an above average defender with a fantastic arm.
When it comes to Andrew Toles, his bad year warrants him spending more time in AAA and he should be the team’s go-to guy in AAA if anyone gets hurt or Dave Roberts wants to run a five-man bench.