The Los Angeles Dodgers need infield help and they’re not waiting until the trade deadline to get it. The Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays agreed on a trade that will send Cavan Biggio to LA, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet first reported.
The Dodgers will send minor leaguer Braydon Fisher to Toronto in return, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
The Blue Jays designated Biggio for assignment on Friday, June 7 to make room for infielder Spencer Horwitz.
Biggio had only 110 at bats for Toronto this year, hitting .200 with 2 home runs and a .614 OPS. His defense has been steady, however, as he committed just 2 errors while playing in the infield and outfield. Both errors came while at second base.
How Cavan Biggio Fits With the Dodgers
Ideally, the Dodgers want to find a natural shortstop. That would allow star Mookie Betts to move back to second base, where he is more comfortable, according to FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal.
For now, however, Biggio gives the Dodgers some options. The son of Hall of Famer Craig Biggio, Cavan can play first, second, third, or right field. With Gavin Lux struggling at second and third baseman Max Muncy enduring a setback in his return from injury, Biggio gives manager Dave Roberts another option.
Biggio and Lux are both left-handed batters, but Biggio has hit lefties significantly better in his career than Lux (.240 BA vs. .209). Lux is also only a year removed from knee surgery and Roberts would probably jump at any opportunity to get him off his feet for an extra day.
Since Muncy’s injury, the Dodgers have given Enrique Hernandez the bulk of the reps at third base. He’s been solid in the field but has not offered much at the plate, hitting .207 with an OPS of .592.
If a change in scenery does, in fact, benefit Biggio, then he can bolster the Dodgers’ lineup at multiple positions.
The Shaky Shortstop Trade Market
The Dodgers’ move for Biggio is also a lottery ticket in the event the shortstop trade market does not move as they hope and Betts stays there for the remainder of the season.
Matt Graves of Last Word on Sports points out that two of the team’s preferred shortstop targets — Bo Bichette (Toronto) and Willy Adames (Milwaukee) — may not become available at all.
The Blue Jays are a game under .500 but only 2 out of a Wild Card spot headed into play on June 12. Their general manager recently said he is looking to extend, not trade Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
The Brewers, meanwhile, are in an entirely different position, 6.5 games ahead of the Pirates in the NL Central. That wouldn’t make them natural candidates to deal their starting shortstop, but that might not matter. Adames will be a free agent at the end of the season anyway, and rather than pay him an exorbitant salary, the Brewers may opt instead to trade him for pitching depth with five starters currently in the injured list.
Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, however, does not believe that the Brewers are likely to deal Adames.
“Hearing ownership make it a point to mention they turned down competitive offers for their shortstop while touting him as the heartbeat of the team sure makes me think Adames is going to play out the year in Milwaukee,” he wrote.
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