Cleveland Indians: The Perfect Francisco Lindor Trade
By Jake Hasan
Cleveland Indians: The Perfect Francisco Lindor Trade
Why the Dodgers do it
After making (and losing) two straight World Series in 2017 and 2018, the Dodgers got bounced in the NLDS this past year. This is a team whose championship window is clearly open right now, and they’re desperate to get over the hump and hoist that trophy.
Francisco Lindor helps them get there. Plug him into the middle of the lineup with reigning MVP Cody Bellinger, Justin Turner, and Max Muncy that’s potentially the best lineup in all of baseball.
Add in solid middle-to-back end starter in Daniel Ponce De Leon to fill the hole left by Hyun Jin Ryu and keep a solid rotation.
The biggest issue for the Dodgers in the last three years though has been their bullpen, namely their inability to get a solid bridge to closer Kenley Jensen. That’s what Junior Fernandez and Jake Woodford are for.
First Fernandez, who reached the majors this past season. He didn’t get a lot of run due to the Cardinals being in the middle of a playoff race, but across three levels in the minors Fernandez posted a 1.52 ERA in 2019, striking out 80 batters over 65 innings. The 22-year-old has an elite fastball that reaches 99 and a changeup that has flashed high potential as well. History has taught us that to be a great reliever you only need two good pitches (see Pomeranz, Drew) which Fernandez has. The Dodgers can use him in a seventh or eighth inning role and make that gap to Jensen smaller.
That brings us to Woodford. Over 151 innings as a starter Woodford logged a 4.15 ERA and punched out 131 batters. But he could reach another level as a reliever. Woodford already has two solid pitches in his two-seamer and changeup, with a developing slider and a so-so four-seamer. But again we know that to be a great reliever you only need two pitches. The Dodgers can develop Woodford in a bridge role and potentially pair him with Fernandez make that gap to Jensen even smaller.