$24,000,000 star on Dodgers’ radar as blockbuster trade rumors swirl

Los Angeles Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts & Tampa Bay Rays Slugger Brandon Lowe

While the Los Angeles Dodgers are the favorites to defend their World Series title, that does not mean they do not have any holes. While they are stacked at nearly every position, their weak spot is at second base and center field.

Tommy Edman has played 13 games at second and two in center. Andy Pages has taken the rest of the reps at center, but he has been struggling with the bat in his hands.

Pages is hitting just .159/.288/318 with two home runs and two runs batted in, while Edman is doing much better, hitting .259. MLB insider Kerry Miller points to the club moving Edman to center, and going after Brandon Lowe to cover second base.

Miller believes the Tampa Bay Rays slugger would be a great fit. Lowe is a constant threat with the bat in his hands, logging 129 home runs in eight seasons thus far.

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To acquire Lowe, the Dodgers would have to send someone the Rays' way that would excite them. He is working on a six-year, $24 million contract that he signed in 2019. With Tampa Bay's history of pitching, names like Hyun-Seok Jang or Eriq Swan could interest them.

However, one thing to note is how many trips to the IL Lowe has taken over the last few seasons. Since 2022, the slugger has made 11 IL trips, ranging from his problems with his toe all the way to his neck.

The Dodgers acquire a pitcher in an under-the-radar trade with the Royals

Los Angeles Dodgers - Dave Roberts (Photo via IMAGN)

While trade rumors are swirling, the Dodgers did go out and make a trade a few weeks back to acquire another arm. They received pitching prospect Shawndrick Oduber from the Kansas City Royals for cash considerations.

The trade was reported by Baseball Aruba on Instagram. Oduber originally signed with Kansas City back in 2022 as a minor league free agent, but has not made his way out of Rookie Ball.

He is still figuring out how to best leverage his skills in this sport. In 2023, he came into the season as a starter, but as of 2024, he has been working as a reliever out of the bullpen.

Oduber will do his best to catch on with his new team. He is only 20 years old, so he still has a ton of time to figure it and and develop as a big-league pitcher.

About the author

Jared "Bloomy" Bloom is a journalist covering Major League Baseball at Sportskeeda and a former college baseball pitcher from Illinois, who just graduated with a Master's degree in Sport Psychology.

A writer with over 3 years of experience, Jared is consistently more concerned with quality than quantity, thoroughly checking multiple sources of information, and prides himself in being knowledgeable not just about MLB, but the game of baseball in general. He loves breaking down plays and game-changing moments, as well as looking closer into players' statistics.

Jared is a die-hard Chicago White Sox fan, and one of his earliest memories is seeing his great-grandfather, a huge Sox fan, in his rocking chair watching a game. Jared started playing from the age of 5 with his grandfather coaching him early on.

Jared loved Tim Lincecum for his quirky delivery and looked up to him as a role model when playing. His current favorite is Phillies star Bryce Harper, an exciting player who doesn't let injuries hold him back. Jared's favorite sports moment is Mark Buehrle's opening day between-the-legs glove flip to first base in 2010.

When he is not watching or writing about baseball, Jared can be found racing BMX at his local Rockford BMX track or coaching his local youth travel baseball team.

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Edited by Jared "Bloomy" Bloom