The Los Angeles Dodgers agreed to a 10-year, $140 million contract extension with catcher Will Smith before their home opener on Thursday. Smith is set to be LA’s catcher for years to come now. However, the Dodgers have three catchers within their top 10 prospects, per MLB.com.
The easy option would be to move either Smith or the Dodgers catching prospects to first base or designated hitter within the next few years. For LA, though, that is out of the question. Freddie Freeman is the Dodgers first baseman, while the ball club signed Shohei Ohtani to be a DH/pitcher for the next 10 years.
The Dodgers need to consider trading their young catchers. Dalton Rushing, who is listed as a first baseman and catcher, is the team’s No. 1 overall prospect in 2024. Catcher Diego Cartaya was the team’s previous No. 1 overall prospect. He’s now ranked No. 8 overall, which is still quite impressive in Los Angeles’ strong farm system. Checking in at No. 10 overall is catcher/first baseman Thayron Liranzo.
Having depth is a good thing. But unless something happens to Smith, and the Dodgers are obviously hoping he stays healthy, there will not be a big league starting catcher role available at the MLB level for a long time in Los Angeles. Trading at least one of these young catching prospects would make sense.
Swap top prospects with Yankees
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The Yankees could use a catcher, and they have some top-tier prospects who may catch LA’s attention. New York also has a plethora of outfielders. A spot may re-open if Juan Soto leaves in free agency, but there is a chance that the Yankees will re-sign Soto.
The Yankees feature four outfielders within their top 10 prospects. Jasson Dominguez and Spencer Jones are ranked No. 1 and No. 2 overall, while Everson Pereira and Brando Mayea are ranked No. 6 and No. 10 in the Yankees’ farm system.
So where are the Dodgers and Yankees prospects ranked within the top 100 prospects in MLB?
Dominguez is the top prospect between the teams, checking in at No. 41 overall. New York probably wouldn’t love the idea of trading him for a prospect.
Jones is just No. 83 overall, however. Meanwhile, Rushing is No. 74. Perhaps the Dodgers and Yankees could center a trade around those two players.
Yes, the Yankees have catcher Austin Wells in their farm system, as he is their No. 5 overall prospect. But adding Rushing would be of value nonetheless given his ceiling. The Dodgers would benefit from adding a future outfield star like Jones as well.
Acquire one of the Mariners starting pitchers
The Dodgers are always open to adding pitching depth, and a few of the Seattle Mariners starting pitchers were mentioned in trade rumors this past offseason.
Cal Raleigh is Seattle’s starting catcher. He isn’t a bad option, and offers immense power for the position. Still, he probably is not the long-term answer at catcher for the Mariners.
The Dodgers could package a deal around Rushing or Cartaya to acquire a pitcher like Logan Gilbert, Emerson Hancock, or Bryce Miller. Gilbert was especially mentioned in trade rumors, so he would probably be the top target here.
Although Rushing could be a star, the Mariners would probably want more than just him in a deal. The Dodgers could add another prospect or two to create a package tempting enough for Seattle.
Dodgers-Red Sox trade
Finally, we will take a look at our first Cartaya-led trade. This deal would not net the Dodgers any current major league talent or a top-tier prospect. It would, however, give Cartaya a fresh start while giving LA another potential pitching weapon. After all, LA knows how to turn a young pitcher with decent potential into a star.
Wikelman Gonzalez is a 22-year-old right-handed pitcher who is ranked No. 7 overall in the Boston Red Sox’s farm system. Gonzalez features a quality fastball but he is still learning how to command all of his pitches.
Gonzalez’s MLB ETA is 2025. He still needs to develop but it would not be surprising to see him establish himself as a respectable MLB starting pitcher someday. The Dodgers could probably help him become a star in all reality.
As for the Red Sox, they would surely be open to acquiring a potential future star like Cartaya.
