According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, the Dodgers are looking at a possible deal involving Carlos Lee of
the Astros. Lee does not have a full no-trade clause, but his partial clause includes the Dodgers. This means he would have to approve of any deal involving Los Angeles.
It was originally reported that the Astros were shopping Jed Lowrie. This does not seem to be the case. Instead, they are willing to part with their aging first baseman/left fielder if they can find the right deal. The Dodgers are in the play-off hunt and looking for more power with Matt Kemp out until sometime after the All-Star break. Lee could certainly help.
Lee is having his best year since 2009 so far this season. He is hitting .290/.342/.412 with five home runs. In his career, Lee has hit .286/.339/.489 with 354 home runs. He’s spent the last six years in Houston after starting his career with the White Sox then moving on to the Brewers.
From the Dodgers’ perspective, a trade involving Lee is risky. He’s 36 years old and making $18.5 million this year. The Astros may be willing to take on a portion of that contract, but they can’t afford to take on much. Lee’s performance has not been worth the price of his contract, but it has been solid. The Dodgers are 22nd in the league in runs scored. Lee could help drive some in, but will he help enough to justify the loss of whatever pieces Los Angeles gives up in the trade?
The Dodgers have tasted success this season with the new owners in place, and it almost seems like they are desperate to make the postseason this year. At the start of the year, not many thought the Dodgers would go anywhere, but now they have a shot. A trade involving Carlos Lee may not be the best overall move for the Dodgers, but if the team can emerge from last year’s ownership crisis and make the play-offs this year, the ends justify the means.
For more on the Dodgers, be sure to check out Lasorda’s Lair.