As the MLB winter meetings kick off in San Diego this week, the Los Angeles Dodgers seem primed to pull the trigger on a trade.
Who that trade will involve remains to be seen, but chances are that one of the team's high-priced outfielders may be on his way out the door. Various reports out of Southern California indicate that Matt Kemp is drawing the most interest from around the league after his resurgent 2014 campaign.
But the front-office tandem of Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi may be more interested in dealing Andre Ethier or Carl Crawford, both left-handed hitting outfielders whose contracts are worth more than their recent production on the field.
It appeared that Los Angeles had actually worked out a trade that would have sent Ethier to the Arizona Diamondbacks for catcher Miguel Montero, but Arizona ownership stepped in and nixed the exchange, per Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports.
There was also a report from USA Today's Bob Nightengale that the Dodgers were aggressively pursuing Chicago White Sox shortstop Alexei Ramirez in a trade in order to replace Hanley Ramirez.
However, the possibility of handing over prospects for what will probably amount to a one-year placeholder for top prospect Corey Seager makes it more likely that Los Angeles rolls the dice with in-house shortstops such as Miguel Rojas and Erisbel Arruebarrena in 2015.
Dumping salary seems to be near the top of the Dodgers' priority list this winter, and it's very conceivable that the team may make a trade in order to bolster the back end of the starting rotation.
Let's take a look at three realistic trade targets for Los Angeles as hot-stove action at the winter meetings continues to gain more traction.
Taijuan Walker
It's been confirmed multiple times now: The Seattle Mariners have their eye on Matt Kemp.
Jon Morosi of Fox Sports first publicized the interest last November, and then Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reported that the outfielder's name came up again in the Pacific Northwest before last season's trade deadline.
With the Dodgers making it known that they are looking to rid themselves of a large outfielder contract as soon as possible, it comes as no surprise that the Mariners recently entered negotiations.
According to Bob Dutton of The News Tribune, the Dodgers inquired about two of Seattle's talented, young starting pitchers.
The Mariners were close to a deal to land Kemp before the Dodgers, on reflection, insisted that either Taijuan Walker or James Paxton be included in the swap.
Since the Mariners backed off when, at that point, they hadn’t yet signed Cruz, they seem less likely now to buckle. That suggests a deal could hinge on what offers the Dodgers get from other clubs.
These talks occurred before the Mariners signed outfielder Nelson Cruz, so they may be less willing to part with Walker or Paxton now that a coveted right-handed power bat is in the fold.
Walker, 22, compiled a 2.61 ERA in 38 major league innings last season, striking out 34 and walking 18. Since the Dodgers already have two quality lefties in their rotation with Clayton Kershaw and Hyun-Jin Ryu, targeting Walker in a trade makes more sense as a way to balance the left-handed starters with right-handers.
Los Angeles will probably continue to dangle a seemingly revitalized Kemp in front of the Mariners during the next few days, and it's entirely possible that these two teams reopen negotiations.
Andrew Cashner
The San Diego Padres have also been linked to Matt Kemp in recent days. According to Nightengale, the team that plays a few blocks away from where the winter meetings are heating up appears to be a front-runner to land the high-priced outfielder.
Nightengale mentions catcher Yasmani Grandal as the key piece that Los Angeles would be receiving in the potential trade, but he also notes that another player may be heading the Dodgers' way.
The identity of this other player is unknown, but it would make sense for Los Angeles to pursue starting pitcher Andrew Cashner. Similar to Seattle's Walker, Cashner represents another talented right-hander who turned in an impressive 2014 season and could fit perfectly into the back of the Dodgers rotation.
Cashner struck out 93 batters and walked just 29 in 123.1 innings of work, putting together a 2.55 ERA in the process. Since becoming a full-time starter in 2013, the 28-year-old has posted a 2.96 ERA in 51 starts while holding opponents to a .234 batting average.
He won't become free agent-eligible for two more years and is due to make $3-4 million in 2015, a price range that would fit perfectly into the Dodgers' cost-saving approach.
The flashiest trade target for the Dodgers is Philadelphia Phillies ace Cole Hamels, but any deal to pry him away from The City of Brotherly Love would require Friedman and Zaidi to part with multiple prospects whom they love.
Los Angeles engaged the Phillies for Hamels at the trade deadline last season to no avail. According to Nightengale (h/t Dave Cameron of FanGraphs), Philadelphia's general manager, Ruben Amaro Jr., demanded the Dodgers' prospect trifecta of Seager, Joc Pederson and pitching phenom Julio Urias.
Los Angeles was reluctant to meet the Phillies' high asking price, but a recent Nightengale report claiming that talks are reopened seems to indicate that Philadelphia has perhaps tempered its wish list.
Hamels is owed $90 million over the next four seasons ($110 million if his 2019 option is picked up). The 30-year-old southpaw compiled a 2.46 ERA in 204.2 innings last season and has been one of the most consistently successful pitchers throughout the last half-decade.
Rosenthal last week offered further details about a possible Hamels-to-Los Angeles trade.
The Dodgers could acquire Hamels without his consent — they are not one of the 20 teams on his no-trade list, according to sources. The team could even expand the deal to include shortstop Jimmy Rollins, who would be an appealing one-year bridge to Seager. Rollins, 36, has full no-trade protection as a player with 10 years of service and five consecutive with the same club, but might approve a deal to a large market such as Los Angeles.
The Dodgers may be particularly interested in a proven winner like Hamels because of the strong likelihood that Zack Greinke will opt out of his current contract following the 2015 season. Fitting Hamels in Dodger Blue would provide some comfort in the event that Greinke does indeed walk next winter.
Hamels in Los Angeles also ensures that the Dodgers' starting rotation next season would be one of the most fearsome in recent memory.
All statistics courtesy of Baseball Reference unless otherwise linked/noted.
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