The Los Angeles Dodgers have shaken Major League Baseball to its core with a flurry of offseason activity. And they still might not be done yet.
The biggest name still to be traded before Opening Day of the 2025 season could be St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado. The eight-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glover has been looking to get traded all winter, and the Dodgers are on his list of preferred destinations.
The Dodgers would have to move Max Muncy to second base to facilitate an Arenado trade and float new signing Hyeseong Kim into a full-time utility role, possibly missing out on everyday playing time.
Would they consider doing so for a Hall of Fame player who appears to be entering his decline?
In a YouTube video published on Monday, content creator Jim Riley of BALLCAP Sports proposed a hypothetical trade that would send Arenado and $8.5 million in cash considerations to the Dodgers for starting pitcher Tony Gonsolin and utility player Chris Taylor.
“At this point, you’re not going to miss Tony Gonsolin,” Riley said. “At this point, Chris Taylor is someone you don’t need. And you can get Nolan Arenado to play third base, one of the best defensive third basemen in the game still.”
Arenado, 33, had a .719 OPS/101 OPS+ last season, his worst offensive year since he was a rookie in 2013. He’s due to be paid $64 million over the next three years before deferrals, but the Dodgers are so far over the luxury tax at this point that they may not mind paying.
Taylor, meanwhile, is due $13 million this year with a $12 million club option for 2026. Gonsolin, who hasn’t pitched since the summer of 2023, is making $5.4 million in his second-to-last year of team control.
It would be a bold swap for the Dodgers, but LA could easily decide they’re happy with what they have on their infielder. And if Taylor isn’t going to get consistent playing time, they could try to trade him for prospects instead.
More MLB: Yankees blockbuster trade idea swaps Jasson Domínguez for 3-time Gold Glover
