Los Angeles Dodgers and Brian Dozier Is a Match That Needs to Happen

After re-signing Rich Hill, Kenley Jansen and Justin Turner this past month, the Dodgers’ one clear need remains at second base. Brian Dozier was one of the better hitters in 2016, and now he looks like a perfect fit in L.A.

Brian Dozier torched the American League in the second half of the 2016 regular season. The 29-year-old second baseman hit 29 home runs in the last two months and finished tied for third in the majors with 42 bombs through 162 games.

This output was 14 more than his previous career-high, and while many baseball pundits knew that Dozier was an elite offensive option for his position, this season he jolted himself into a premier hitter regardless of where he lines up in the field. The All-Star middle infielder is not only a power hitter, too. His batting average of .268 last season was a career-high as well, and he proved that he could get on base at a fairly high clip (.340).

Looking outside of his basic stat line, Dozier’s hard contact was at a career-high of 34.7 percent, which was over five percent better than his previous best. His fly ball rate was three percent higher as well, and his WAR sat at a stunning 6.5 (Baseball Reference).

In the prime of his career, Dozier is clearly one of the better middle-of-the-order bats available to be dealt this winter. He also carries greater value because of the advantage he brings to his team due to the lack of quality hitting options at second base. The Dodgers are clearly aware of this.

After losing to the Cubs in the NLDS a couple of months ago, the Dodgers are clearly willing to make the moves necessary to try to stack up with the current World Series champions. Los Angeles currently has a very deep rotation lead by Rich Hill and Clayton Kershaw. The bullpen is looking much more formidable with Kenley Jansen now back in the fold, and the lineup seems nearly complete. Of course, second base remains the last big question.

As of now, Enrique Hernandez looks to be the frontrunner to start next to Corey Seager. However, it’s widely known that the Dodgers have been broad in their search for an upgrade. However, Ian Kinsler can reject any trade to the Dodgers. It also doesn’t seem like the Tampa Bay Rays are ready to give away Logan Forsythe. This makes Dozier the most likely option for Andrew Friedman and Dave Roberts.

According to Derek Wetmore of ESPN1500, the Dodgers have shown a “willingness to include Jose De Leon in a trade for Brian Dozier.” On MLB Pipeline, De Leon is currently ranked as the second best prospect in the Dodgers farm system and 33rd overall in the entire minor leagues. The 24-year-old projects as a top of the rotation power arm who is known for his ability to miss many bats.

Since being taken in the 24th round in 2013, De Leon has averaged over 12 strikeouts per nine innings of work. His walk rate is also under 3.0/9 IP and he has consistently been tough on hitters in the home run department, allowing under one long ball per nine innings throughout his minor league career. De Leon did struggle in four starts for the Dodgers in 2016, finishing with an ERA in the high 6.00s.

Still, there is reason to believe that the young hurler can be a staple at the top of a pitching staff in the near future. This is something that the Minnesota Twins could desperately use. It’s very rare that a team can grab a young arm that is so close to contributing at the big league club. Dozier only has two years remaining until he is a free agent, so the Twins don’t accomplish much by keeping him and not capitalizing when his value is at its highest.

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At the moment, the Twins are built more on young hitting than pitching with the likes of Byron Buxton, Miguel Sano and Max Kepler being the primary building blocks of the ball club. Jose Berrios was a disappointment last season and the Twins’ better minor league starting pitchers aren’t quite ready to contribute at the major league level in 2017. In addition, De Leon would be a welcome addition to a rotation that is full of low ceiling veterans like Ervin Santana, Phil Hughes and Hector Santiago.

On the Dodgers’ end, De Leon alone wouldn’t be enough to get the deal done, but the team does have a rather deep farm system to pull from in order to make the secondary pieces work, which apparently is the primary hold up in the trade discussions.

In so many ways this trade seems destined to happen. A deep Dodgers rotation and farm system makes De Leon expendable and the Twins are a non-contender that is lacking a young power arm and could use further depth in its minor league system.

There is clearly a trade to be made here and both teams would be doing a disservice to themselves if they fail to connect on a deal that sends Dozier to Hollywood.

Next: Jonny Gomes Wants to Play in 2017

What do you think about a potential Dodgers-Twins trade regarding Brian Dozier? Let us know in the comment section below.