Trade Either...?

With Xmas around the corner I thought I'd fantasize my own Xmas shopping list for the Dodgers.

As we all know the last year has been crazy with the Guggenheim Partners buying up the Dodgers and then spending millions to improve the team. First came the signing of Andre Either to a 5yr/85mil extension, then Hanley Ramirez joined the team, and finally the Red Sox's fire sale sending Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford over to the Dodgers. Then add to the spending the winter signings of Zack Greinke, Hyun-Jin Ryu, and bringing back Brandon League, and it seems that the Guggenheim Partners have gone all in to bring LA a World Series right now.

Yet despite all this spending and bringing the payroll up over the $200 million mark, sports writers are weary of this Dodger Super team.  David Schoenfield of ESPN placed the Dodgers 7th in his winter rankings, and he worries that the age of the players may be a factor in their results for 2013. His worry is a valid point, and while many brush off this comment for the current year, there should be concern about the future. If the Dodgers keep Crawford and Either to the conclusion of their contracts in 2017 the outfield would consist of Matt Kemp (32), Crawford (35) and Either (35). Hardly a young set of outfielders. And to make matters worse they would also have a 35 yr old Adrian Gonzalez manning first. Last year the Dodger's ranked 3rd to last in batter's age, with only Philly and the Yanks behind them, and even with the removal of Juan Rivera from the starting lineup, they do not project to get much younger.

So how can the Dodgers get younger...? Well their best bet would be to fill other spots on the field with young prospects. The positions they could do this at would be 2nd, 3rd, Short, and Catcher. However, the Dodger organization is not particularly strong at any of these positions, in fact they have only one infield prospect in the their top 10, Corey Seager, the younger brother of Kyle Seager who plays 3rd for the Mariners, and won't be ready for at least 2 years if rushed. Another option would be to go back to playing Dee Gordon, but the organization seems to have soured on the young speedster. So with no internal options available the Dodgers need to trade for some young talent to put in their offense. But who would want the high priced talent the Dodgers have available to trade?

Well 1 team that I've already mentioned is interested in two Dodgers, and has called the club to ask about them. Who am I talking about, the Mariners! With Hamilton having signed the Mariners are looking for a power lefthanded bat and have called about Andre Either. According to Mike Petriello of MSTI "Even last year, when [Either] struggled for months at a time, he had the 7^th highest wOBA against righties of any other player, better than Josh Hamilton or Giancarlo Stanton or Joe Mauer or Chase Headley. Over the last three years, he’s 9^th; over the last five, he’s 7^th." The Mariners also seem to be high on Dee Gordon, being one of the few teams that believes they can develop the speedster. The Mariners are also looking for some solid back of the rotation arms to shore up their pitching behind King Felix. If a high ranked pitching prospect gets thrown into the mix with a good deal of money, the Mariners could walk away with a pretty decent package, to get the outfield "Slugger" they've been coveting all offseason. So what would the Dodgers ask for in return...? Well Corey's older brother Kyle Seager of course. In his 1st full year in the majors Kyle hit 259/316/423 (avg/obp/slg). While these numbers aren't as inspiring as Either's 284/359/465 clip, both batters hit over 30 doubles and 20 home runs, plus Kyle has yet to enter his prime, while Either moves towards the end of his. Also Kyle showed more ability to hit lefties than the troubled Either.

The benfits of getting Kyle Seager are not just limited to his age. Getting Seager this year opens up a spot in the Dodger's outfield. This could be plugged by signing a 2 year deal with another brother, Scott Hairston and platooning him and Skip Schumaker, as both have crushed pitchers from the opposite side. This also allows for Yasiel Puig to be unblocked, and for him to join the outfield within the next year or two. While some may wonder about losing offensive production, Hairston and Seager project to about 40hrs vs, Either and Cruz's projected 28hrs. In addition, Kyle's original position is 2nd. Assuming the Dodger's fast track his brother, and allow Kyle a few games and practice time at 2nd, the infielder could slide over there to make room for his brother. While this trade may reduce the potency of the Dodgers' outfield for 2013, the benefit in shoring up the infield, and allowing for the team to remain competitive beyond the next three years makes it a hell of a good deal.