Los Angeles Dodgers pull off blockbuster trade
By Jamaal Artis
The Los Angeles Dodgers finally made its first big move of the offseason: trading away Yasiel Puig, Matt Kemp, Alex Wood and Kyle Farmer.
The Los Angeles Dodgers and Andrew Friedman just gave the baseball world an early Christmas present.
In a bombshell trade first reported by baseball writer Ken Rosenthal, the Dodgers have apparently decided to trade Yasiel Puig, Matt Kemp, Alex Wood and Kyle Farmer to the Cincinnati Reds.
In exchange for the players, the Reds will trade starting pitcher Homer Bailey, who waived his 10-5 rights to approve the deal.
Bailey will be designated for assignment and subsequently waive. The Dodgers also acquired prospects Jeter Downs and Josiah Gray.
Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp expected to be part of trade from #Dodgers to #Reds for Homer Bailey, prospects and possibly int’l bonus slots, sources tell The Athletic. Bailey has waived his 10-and-5 rights to approve deal. Multiple major-league pieces involved, as @JeffPassan said.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 21, 2018
With all these moves on board, the Dodgers roster will not be the same come Spring Training.
This is the second year in a row the Dodgers have been involved in a Kemp trade, after bringing him back from Atlanta last year.
Wood, a player the Dodgers traded for back in the summer of 2015, went from an All-Star in 2017 to mop up bullpen role this past year.
Dodgers fans will likely hurt most at the thought of losing Puig. The enigmatic Puig has only ever been with the Dodgers in his career after making a splash as a rookie in 2013.
The popular Puig brought excitement and winning baseball to the Dodgers making the playoffs every year he was with the Dodgers.
With the trading of Puig, Kemp and Wood, the Dodgers will clear $30 million dollars off the books for next season.
Speculation will run rampant now that the Dodgers have other moves.
Clearing money and space gives Andrew Friedman room to start making moves.
Bryce Harper next?
The first question to be asked does this mean Bryce Harper a free agent is the Dodgers next target.
With Kemp and Puig gone that means there are two starters gone from the outfield. This creates the space to plug Harper in left field and for a player like Chris Taylor to stay in right.
After Harper, then what?
If the Dodgers use their newfound flexibility and sign Harper, then there might be more moves to be made.
The Dodgers can use the international money slot and the prospects gained from the trade in a trade package.
They could use them in a trade for Miami Marlins catcher J. T. Realmuto or Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Corey Kluber.
Next. Five things on the Dodgers Christmas list. dark
With the trade ends an era for the Los Angeles Dodgers, three players who helped the Dodgers go to back to back World Series are now gone. It remains to be seen whether Andrew Friedman can make the moves to help them win the World Series.