Lux out, Ace In: Dodgers make bold trade to…

The Los Angeles Dodgers are casting a big shadow over the offseason.

After winning it all in 2024 following the relentless acquisition of superstar talent — including the additions of Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow — the Dodgers are in the mix to land any number of additional superstars this winter. The team is set to meet with free agent Juan Soto and has been linked to free agent shortstop Willy Adames as well, two of Major League Baseball’s best young stars.

But the Dodgers also might make waves on the trade market. The team could be looking to bolster its rotation after persistent injuries mounted at the end of the 2024 season. To fortify against that in 2025, New York Post MLB insider Jon Heyman floated a blockbuster trade idea that would send Dodgers’ infielder Gavin Lux to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for starter Garrett Crochet.

“With Mookie Betts moving to the infield, maybe Lux could go in a Crochet deal,” Heyman suggested.

Betts, a six-time Gold Glove Award winner in the outfield, experimented with an everyday shortstop role for the Dodgers in 2024 as Lux struggled after opening the season there. The team is expecting him to move back to the infield for 2025 and that could ultimately push Lux out of Los Angeles.

A first-round draft pick in 2016, Lux hasn’t been able to realize his promise With the Dodgers amid injuries and a relatively short leash, given the depth of star talent around him. Perhaps he could make some progress with a change of scenery, but the Dodgers would certainly have to build an enticing trade package around him if they were to land Crochet from the White Sox.

In his first career season as a starter, Crochet made the All-Star team and racked up 209 strikeouts in 32 total starts. Though he’s suffered some significant injuries in the past, he demonstrated valuable durability in 2024 and is an enticing name on the trade block as the White Sox undergo an extensive rebuild.

Crochet would definitely add a boost to the Dodgers rotation and could provide some valuable insurance against additional injuries in 2025. With Lux unlikely to hold down a significant role for the team, flipping him for some more immediate value on the trade market might be in the cards for the Dodgers.