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Los Angeles Dodgers: 3-team trade ideas with White Sox for Joc Pederson

By Jason Reed

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MAY 28: Joc Pederson #31 of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts to his strikeout in front of Wilson Ramos #40 of the New York Mets during the seventh inning at Dodger Stadium on May 28, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MAY 28: Joc Pederson #31 of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts to his strikeout in front of Wilson Ramos #40 of the New York Mets during the seventh inning at Dodger Stadium on May 28, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Dodgers
(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Dodgers /

Trade 1:

  • Los Angeles Dodgers receive: Jeurys Familia, Kelvin Herrera, cash considerations

  • Chicago White Sox receive: Joc Pederson

  • New York Mets receive: Player to be named later

This trade is a perfect example of the Los Angeles Dodgers being savvy with the salary cap and taking advantage of other teams in order to bolster what is probably the weakest area of the team, the bullpen, which still is not all that weak.

The inclusion of the New York Mets in this trade adds Jeurys Familia to the mix and the Dodgers would get him for virtually no cost. The Mets are looking to get under the luxury tax threshold next season and are reportedly willing to package Familia and/or Jed Lowrie with a young asset to free up money.

This trade allows the team to free up the money without giving away a young asset, thus why they are only getting a player to be named later in return.

This deal all boils down to finances. Instead of sending mid-tier prospects and adding Pederson’s salary, the White Sox are essentially going to swap Kelvin Herrera‘s salary with Pederson and add Familia’s salary, which would be like adding Pederson’s anyways.

Familia is owed $22 million over the next two years. The White Sox will pay all but $1 million of that salary this season (the Dodgers pay the remaining) and a third of his salary next season. That means they are on the books for $9 million in the luxury tax.

The Dodgers, meanwhile, are not adding much salary at all. Joc Pederson is estimated to make $8.5 million in arbitration and Herrera is making exactly $8.5 million this season with a club option next season.

So essentially the Dodgers would be getting two former elite arms with World Series experience that are both still young for one year of Pederson and one million extra in salary.

This sounds far-fetched but it really isn’t. The White Sox are only adding $9 million to the books this year, which is half a million less than they would add if they traded prospects for Pederson and the Mets get away from the financial commitment without giving up other assets.

If Herrera and Familia both returned to their old form then the Dodgers’ bullpen would be unhittable. If they were just half as good as they used to be in a new team then the Dodgers bullpen would be much better.

Man, I love this trade idea a lot.

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