Los Angeles Dodgers: Why the proposed Rangers trade won’t happen

Hot stove season in MLB means a slew of trade ideas for every team, including a big trade between the Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Dodgers.

One of the most common things to happen during the MLB offseason revolves around trade speculation: who is going where, why and how. The Los Angeles Dodgers are always a big part of this speculation because of the team’s massive market and seemingly endless resources.

MLB. com recently posted an article about seven hot stove blockbuster deals to dream of, where David Adler made a certain proposal for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Dodgers would be acquiring Joey Gallo and Mike Minor from the Texas Rangers in exchange for Keibert Ruiz, Alex Verdugo and Tony Gonsolin.

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Usually, these trades are relatively reasonable and definitely seem plausible. In this case, I don’t think the Dodgers would even answer the phone if this was being offered, they might disconnect the landline altogether.

Let’s break it down.

In this deal, the Dodgers would be getting two solid players in Gallo and Minor. Gallo, a power-hitting left-handed bat, slugged 22 home runs and 49 RBIs in 297 plate appearances. He hit .253 with a .986 OPS.

Minor is a veteran southpaw who was an all-star last season with a 3.59 ERA and 200 strikeouts in 208 and one-third innings pitched. Minor is entering the final year of his contract and is owed $9.5 million while Gallo has three more seasons of arbitration.

In return, the Dodgers are sending the team’s sixth prospect in Tony Gonsolin, the third prospect in Keibert Ruiz and a promising young outfielder and former top-100 prospect, Alex Verdugo. Already you can see the massive issues with this deal.

First of all, I am not against the idea of trading Gonsolin and/or Ruiz, if the price is right. Gonsolin kind of is the odd man out in a crowded Dodgers rotation and Ruiz is more expendable with the emergence of Will Smith and the rest of the depth in the Dodgers’ farm system.

Verdugo is someone who I do have issues parting ways with, especially if it is in a deal like this where the Dodgers are getting someone in the outfield who they do not need in Gallo. The reasoning provided is that the Dodgers are “equipped to absorb Gallo’s tendency to strike out” and that the team will love his ability to play multiple positions.

The thing is that the Dodgers do not need another high-strikeout left-handed power-bat! Ever heard of Joc Pederson? If this deal happens, the Dodgers would have a four-man outfield of Joc Pederson, Joey Gallo, Cody Bellinger and A.J. Pollock.

Pederson and Pollock could become platoon mates, leaving Gallo and Bellinger to be the everyday starters. The thing is, though, that the way the Dodgers’ lineup is built they benefit more from having a contact bat in Alex Verdugo than yet another high strikeout power bat in Gallo.

Plus Verdugo hits southpaws better! Sure, Gallo could play first or third base as well but the Dodgers already have a crowded infield that could get more crowded. Gallo is someone who could make sense on the Dodgers, but would only make sense if the team got rid of Pederson and did not give up nearly as much as they are giving up in this deal.

As for Minor, he would be the third-best pitcher in the Dodgers’ rotation for one season. The rotation would be Walker Buehler, Clayton Kershaw, Mike Minor, Kenta Maeda (if he doesn’t get traded) and Julio Urias/Dustin May.

Minor is a solid pitcher but there are two problems here. First, if the Dodgers are going to get a pitcher they are probably going to get an elite pitcher. They already have depth will be just fine without someone such as Minor.

And even if they are interested in Minor, there is no way that the team is essentially going to give up three top-six prospects for one year of Minor and someone in Gallo who is not much different than what they already have.

The Los Angeles Dodgers could package all of these players as a big chunk of a deal for Mookie Betts, why in the world would they send them all for Joey Gallo and Mike Minor? They wouldn’t.

If the Los Angeles Dodgers were to trade for Minor they would probably flip more years of team control in Kenta Maeda and a mid-tier top-30 prospect. Gallo would take some top prospects, but again, the Dodgers don’t need him, they need a power-hitting right-handed bat.

All prospect rankings via MLB Pipeline.