The Los Angeles Dodgers have once again made a splash in free agency, this time by signing Hye-seong Kim. The versatile Korean infielder and defensive specialist was posted at the beginning of December, which meant his signing deadline was on Jan. 3. The Dodgers signed him a few hours prior to the deadline on a very affordable contract.
They already made room for him by designating catcher Diego Cartaya for assignment, but in the wake of the move, the Dodgers could also move on from some of their crowded middle infield depth. Gavin Lux is a name that stands out as someone Los Angeles might move on from to clear up room at that position, despite entering the offseason insisting that he’d be their starter.
Conversely, the Pirates’ middle infield is a bit shaky, and targeting the former top prospect may not be a bad idea. Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Nick Gonzales are the likely guys who’ll be up the middle in Pittsburgh on a daily basis, but adding a left-handed bat to the mix makes sense. Kiner-Falefa posted a 101 wRC+ against right-handed pitching, while Gonzales produced a wRC+ of 124 against left-handers, but each one struggles against the converse. Adding Lux to play against right-handers would help off the bench.
As it sits right now, the Pirates’ backup infielders that will start the year on the roster are Jared Triolo and Nick Yorke, both of whom are right-handed bats. Enmanuel Valdez is a left-handed hitting infielder on the 40-man, but he is not a guy to count on to make the Opening Day roster. Trading for Lux would add a reliable option left-handed option up the middle, something Pittsburgh lacks.
Gavin Lux makes a lot of sense for the Pirates to target in trade with Dodgers.
Last season with the Dodgers, Lux belted 10 home runs, 24 doubles, and two triples to generate a slugging percentage of .383. That paired with an on-base percentage of .320 to create an OPS of .703. He also put together a wRC+ of 100, which is league average, along with an average strikeout percentage of 22.6%.
He put up a wRC+ of 109 and an OPS of .739 against right-handers, though, which is not terrible. If the Pirates primarily use him against righties, then they will get another platoon option for the middle infield. Nonetheless, he is a serviceable second baseman for the Pirates to use if Gonzales does not take the next step in 2025.
The Pirates would likely only have to give up a middle-of-the-pack prospect off the 40-man roster, attached to (likely) one of the team’s many intriguing lottery ticket arms. A possible return may include a prospect like Jack Brannigan or Lonnie White Jr., who are both top prospects in the Pirates organization at their position. That return is based on Lux having two years of control until free agency and not exactly living up to his top prospect hype. He is definitely serviceable and a solid addition to the team, but he has not done what he was expected to do.
This makes a lot of sense for the Pirates to fill out the roster without giving up a bundle of prospects or a lot of money. Lux is the affordable left-handed bat that Pittsburgh lacks, which is why they should try to take him off of the Dodgers’ hands.
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