The Los Angeles Dodgers are second in the National League behind the Philadelphia Phillies. With the trade deadline approaching, the Dodgers have the opportunity to bolster their roster for a postseason run. A trade proposal from Jim Riley for Bleacher Report sends Bo Bichette of the Toronto Blue Jays to Los Angeles.
Riley proposed this player swap that makes Bichette a Dodger:
- Dodgers receive: shortstop Bo Bichette
- Blue Jays receive: second baseman Gavin Lux, right-handed pitcher River Ryan, right-handed pitcher Landon Knack and third baseman Jake Gelof
“I don’t think Toronto wants to trade Bichette or [Vladimir Guerrero Jr.], but at this point are they beyond fading? They’re almost disintegrating,” MLB Insider Jon Heyman said on his podcast for Bleacher Report. “The Jays are a non-contender. These guys have a year to go. I don’t think they’re going to be able to sign them. Negotiations have not gone well. They have not gotten close.”
High Asking Price for Bo Bichette
“You’re going to have to blow them away, so it’s going to have to feel like, ‘Oh, that’s too much,” Riley said of the Blue Jays asking price.
The Dodgers would be parting with three Top 30 prospects in Riley’s proposal. Ryan is the club’s No. 4 prospect. Knack is their No. 12 prospect. Gelof is the No. 22 prospect in the organization. Lux is the only major leaguer involved in the proposal.
Lux slashed .276/.346/.399 in 2022. He missed all of 2023 with a knee injury. This season he has struggled, but a “change of scenery might do him well,” said Riley. Lux is slashing .207/.261/.280 this season.
Riley noted that Lux could slide into the Blue Jays lineup right away. However, Ryan and Knack could be a big part of the Blue Jays future, according to Riley.
Riley outlined that Yusei Kikuchi will likely be traded and Alek Manoah will likely miss the rest of the season. Ryan is in Triple-A with an ETA of 2024 on MLB Pipeline. Knack made his debut this season and has a 2.86 ERA in seven starts.
“When you consider the Blue Jays situation and them calling guys up, they don’t have significant arms to call up,” said Riley.
The Blue Jays’ top prospect Ricky Tiedemann has been dealing with injuries this season. Ryan and Knack would bring two new pitching prospects to the organization that could be future staples of the rotation.
Dodgers Infield
The Dodgers moved Mookie Betts to shortstop before the season. The acquisition of Bichette would slide Betts back to second base. Betts made 70 appearances at second base in 2023. Bichette has never made a major league appearance at second base.
With Betts on the injured list, Miguel Rojas has been playing shortstop. A trade for Bichette would surely move Betts back to second base, but manager Dave Roberts is not opposed to the idea regardless.
When asked if he would consider moving Betts back to second base he said, “I would.”
“I would, I would,” Roberts said, according to the Los Angeles Times’ Mike DiGiovanna. “I don’t think anyone can debate the level of shortstop play from Miguel Rojas. Some of it is contingent on the timeline for Mookie’s return and where Miggy is physically and how things are going. But to your question, would I consider it? Absolutely.”
Lux has left the Dodgers looking for more offensive production from the second base position. Moving Betts there would provide that while upgrading from Betts’ defense at shortstop. Betts had nine errors in 531 ⅓ innings at shortstop this season, eight of them throwing and one fielding, according to DiGiovanna.
“The Dodgers make sense for [Bichette],” Heyman said. “He’s a change of scenery guy. I know he hasn’t had his typical year.”
Bichette led the American League in hits in 2021 and 2022. He was an All-Star in 2023 with a .814 OPS and 20 home runs. He has a .812 career OPS with 93 home runs. His numbers in 2024 are by no means an indication of the player he has shown he can be.
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Dodgers Trade Proposal Brings $33 Million Shortstop to LA in 5-Player Swap