All offseason, there has been some thought that the Dodgers could upgrade the shortstop position. After all, the team added plenty of talent to the mix already, but the front office remained committed to seeing how Gavin Lux would be coming off a torn ACL.
Lux tore his ACL in Spring Training last year but has been expected to take over the shortstop spot this year. However, things haven’t quite gone his way through the first part of spring, at least on the defensive side of the field.
Los Angeles isn’t worried about the bat with Lux, as he is hitting .348 with three runs batted in over 23 at-bats. But his defense has left a lot to worry about, especially the throw from shortstop to first base.
Naturally, there will be a grace period for any player who is coming off a major injury similar to what Lux suffered. But the Dodgers don’t have time for mistakes, and manager Dave Roberts was noncommittal to ensuring Lux’s job was secure.
This has brought back up the idea of an upgrade, with Los Angeles being linked to a familiar name. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal appeared on the Foul Territory show and brought up Willy Adames from the Milwaukee Brewers as a potential trade target for L.A.
Adames has been connected with the Dodgers for a few years, but Milwaukee would have to be willing to play ball on a trade.
“We’ve talked about Willy Adames with them for ever. My understanding is that while the Dodgers might want Willy Adames, the Brewers might not want to trade Willy Adames. There’s always a price … for every player but right now it just seems they’re going to have to see what happens with Lux for the next couple of weeks, and maybe go with Rojas and Kiké to start the season and figure it out as they go along.”
Ken Rosenthal, Foul Territory Show
Bringing in Adames would help shore up the shortstop position, but it would also mean that Los Angeles was effectively giving up on Lux. The former top prospect for the Dodgers still has tremendous upside, but the Dodgers may need to move on if he can’t figure his defense out.
Luckily for the Dodgers, they have options. They have others who can play the shortstop position such as Miguel Rojas, Chris Taylor or Kiké Hernández if Lux isn’t starting on Opening Day.
But the teams’ interest in Adames doesn’t seem to be going away, which is something that could drag out until the trade deadline.
Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
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