Los Angeles Dodgers: Players worth trading Alex Verdugo for
By Jason Reed
2. Starling Marte
Starling Marte is someone that literally would fit on the Los Angeles Dodgers like a glove and would undoubtedly make the team better than Alex Verdugo would. While Verdugo is talented, having Marte’s presence in the lineup would not only be beneficial to him but the rest of the guys around him.
Marte is right-handed and has a career .276 batting average against left-handed pitching. He has pop in his swing to hit over 20 home runs and brings speed to a team that desperately lacks it. He would be the perfect lead-off guy to get on base and advance for Corey Seager and Justin Turner.
Of course, the Los Angeles Dodgers would need the Pittsburgh Pirates to be willing to make this move happen. And while it might seem unlikely, the Pirates actually have an incentive to deal Marte.
The National League Central is going to be extremely competitive and tough this season. The Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers were both playoff teams last year and the St. Louis Cardinals, who were on the bubble of making it, added Paul Goldschmidt.
Heck, even the Cincinnati Reds got better, although they are not a playoff team. Upon looking at the division, and at the supporting cast in Pittsburgh, the Pirates might opt to turn three seasons of Marte into prolonged success.
It is going to take more than Verdugo to get this deal done. However, the Dodgers could also help the catching situation by adding Francisco Cervelli in the trade as well to platoon with Austin Barnes.
A package consisting of Alex Verdugo, Edwin Rios, Dennis Santana, Will Smith and Matt Beaty should be enough for this. That is five top-30 prospects that are all blocked in the Dodgers system and can help the Pirates substantially.