Getty Luis Robert Jr. of the Chicago White Sox
The Los Angeles Dodgers had a rough week on the injury front. They lost Yoshinobu Yamamoto on June 15 and Mookie Betts on June 16. Both players are expected to return this season but with the July 30 trade deadline approaching, the Dodgers can make some moves to strengthen the team for their return.
The Athletic’s Jim Bowden proposed a 10-player trade that would bring Luis Robert Jr., Garrett Crochet and Michael Kopech from the Chicago White Sox to the Dodgers.
“This would be an industry shocker — a 10-player trade! — that would put the Dodgers in a much better position to run the table in the postseason and would jump-start the White Sox’s rebuild,” Bowden wrote in a June 17 story on “5 trades I’d like to see.” “The Dodgers have a loaded farm system and the major-league roster to win it all now, so why not finish the job with one mammoth blockbuster deal?”
Dodgers Get 2 Stars in Proposal
The Dodgers have not shied away from blockbuster deals in the past. They acquired Max Scherzer and Trea Turner for prospects at the deadline in 2021.
As that trade did then, Bowden’s trade proposal would dip into the Dodgers farm system for major league talent, giving the White Sox catcher Andy Pages (who is currently on the Dodgers’ major league roster), No. 1 prospect Dalton Rushing, No. 3 prospect Nick Frasso, No. 5 prospect Kyle Hurt, No. 9 prospect Payton Martin, No. 14 prospect Justin Wrobleski and No. 18 prospect Emil Morales.
The highlight players in the trade proposal are Robert and Crochet. Robert was named an All-Star in 2023, but injuries have been the main concern in his career. Robert has played over 100 games just once (2023) in the first four years of his career. This season, Robert went on the injured list on April 6 with a right hip flexor strain. Robert returned on June 4 and has five home runs in 12 games since.
“Luis Robert Jr. improves their defense in center field and adds length to the bottom half of the lineup,” Bowden wrote.
Crochet, who turns 25 on June 21, is “perhaps the most coveted starter on the market,” according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale.
“The Chicago White Sox realize that Garrett Crochet’s value may never be higher so their asking price is exorbitant, hoping that contenders aren’t deterred by Crochet’s injury history and the need to curtail his innings in the second half, perhaps making him a reliever in the postseason,” Nightengale wrote on June 16. “Certainly, it’s a potential trade that could shape the White Sox franchise for the next decade.”
The Dodgers would also acquire Kopech. He would give the Dodgers “another power arm option for the back of their bullpen.”
Future Outlook
“Robert is under team control through 2027, Crochet is under control through 2026 and Kopech is under control through 2025,” wrote Bowden. “The White Sox would get a haul of seven solid to good prospects in return, putting them on track for a much faster rebuild.”
Pages made his debut this season and is slashing .267/.315/.421 through June 16.
Six prospects and rookie Pages would provide the White Sox with key pieces without the Dodgers sacrificing too much for their own future. While the team would lose seven young players, Robert, Crochet and Kopech are all under club control beyond this season.
Rushing, a catcher and the No. 50 overall prospect, does not have a clear path to the majors on the Dodgers. The Dodgers recently signed Will Smith to a 10-year, $140 million extension.
The Dodgers would be parting with four pitching prospects. However, they would be adding Crochet to a rotation with Tyler Glasnow and Yamamoto. The Dodgers could extend Crochet as they did with Glasnow to soften the blow of losing four young pitchers.