The Los Angeles Dodgers have shown they are not scared to be aggressive in their pursuit of a World Series. They could swing a blockbuster trade to bring another superstar to Los Angeles.
The Dodgers lineup already features Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts. The only flaw in their lineup is in left field, where Michael Conforto has continued to struggle. The Dodgers could shuffle their defense to replace him.
The Dodgers have Tommy Edman, who has primarily manned second base. However, he can play in the outfield as well. The Dodgers have been unwilling to make Hyeseong Kim an everyday player and move Edman to the outfield full time. However, Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer suggested the Dodgers would be a “dream” landing spot for Nolan Arenado of the St. Louis Cardinals.
Adding Arenado could solve all of the Dodgers’ problems. Arenado would be able to replace Max Muncy in the hot corner. Muncy could then play second base and allow Edman to move to the outfield again. The Dodgers may be unwilling to make that kind of move for Kim, who is a rookie, but should not have any problems doing so for a superstar like Arenado.
Muncy is playing great as of late, so he will not be removed from the lineup. However, his defensive versatility would play a huge role in accommodating Arenado and getting Conforto out of the lineup.
The Cardinals are seven games out of first place in the National League Central entering play on Wednesday. They could turn into sellers at the trade deadline if they continue to slide in the standings. Arenado has two more seasons of club control on his eight-year, $260 million extension.
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He is struggling at the plate right now, but if you compare him to what having Conforto in the lineup is doing, he looks great. He is hitting .244 with a .694 OPS. However, a change of scenery could do the eight-time All-Star some good.
“Arenado is 34 years old and in the third season of a steep offensive decline,” wrote Rymer. “But the 10-time Gold Glover can still get it done on defense if nothing else, and he just seems the kind of guy whose bat would be energized by a new environment.”
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