3 crazy Craig Kimbrel trades for White Sox with the Dodgers
The Chicago White Sox are a very good team. Part of what makes them have a really good team is their outstanding bullpen. It appears that the depth of their bullpen is going to force Craig Kimbrel out of town. He is clearly not a very good fit with this team right now.
Kimbrel is one of the great closers of all time. However, in the year 2022, Liam Hendriks is better. We know who the main closer is but Kimbrel is incapable of being a setup man. He is a ninth-inning guy through and through. There is nothing wrong with that.
With that in mind, there are a few teams that could get the most out of Kimbrel. One of them is the rather busy Los Angeles Dodgers. They just signed Freddie Freeman to a massive deal which will make them have one of the best lineups of all time. Unfortunately, there is one new hole on their roster.
Kenley Jansen just signed on with the Atlanta Braves. He is going to go there and try to help them defend their crown one year after Jansen’s Dodgers were eliminated by him. There are a few in-house options that the Dodgers could use to replace him but they could also go shopping.
The Chicago White Sox could make a big deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
If the White Sox wanted to get a good player back in return, Los Angeles is the place to look. They have so many extra assets that could really be of service to this White Sox team looking to take the next step. These are three trade packages that could make this a reality:
The White Sox could make a deal for someone who can help with second base.
The Chicago White Sox signed Josh Harrison to be their new second baseman. He is a fine option that is certainly an upgrade but that doesn’t mean that they can’t stop there. He could be a great player to have as an option here and there if someone better was acquired.
The White Sox should try to land Gavin Lux from the Dodgers. He is a versatile player but second base is somewhere that he could thrive playing. He would fit in so nicely on this team as he tries to grow into his MLB career.
He is a very young player that only has 144 games under his belt. That is all spread over three seasons and the Dodgers are an extremely deep team. He isn’t playing full-time second base over Max Muncy any time soon so maybe they will try to trade him. His ceiling with this team is through the roof. He also has World Series which always helps, especially from a younger guy.
Micker Adolfo is just a risky throw-in as he could turn into a very good MLB player someday as well. He can hit the ball a long way but he has to learn how to do it with a fair amount of consistency. In a trade along with Craig Kimbrel, however, both the Dodgers and White Sox could do well here.
The Chicago White Sox could try to make a major splash for a big-time hitter.
The Chicago White Sox could really try to make a splash. Cody Bellinger had a tough year in 2021 but this is a guy who has had moments where he is incredible. After the year he had last year, people are talking about him like he is trash as if he wasn’t an MVP candidate like three years ago.
he still has a lot to offer which is why he should command a lot in a trade. Craig Kimbrel going to the Dodgers to replace Jansen is something that could really help them so letting go of Bellinger could help. There are plenty of players there that can make up for his offense.
Bellinger would play right field upon his arrival. That position belongs to Mookie Betts right now because of his arm strength but he can absolutely play that position in Chicago. He would fit in well on this White Sox lineup, which isn’t too shabby either.
In addition to Kimbrel, some good pieces might need to join him. Jared Kelley and Norge Vera are young pitching prospects that were acquired by the White Sox in different ways. They are both good and in prospect mode which is something the Dodgers need to look back at as well. If a trade like this were made, much like the last one, it would really benefit both teams.
The Chicago White Sox could try to pull off a stunner with a Craig Kimbrel deal.
The Chicago White Sox, as mentioned before, signed Josh Harrison to be their second baseman. They would still be smart to accept an upgrade if one presented itself. Harrison would be great to have on the bench and he would still see a lot of playing time.
There is a chance that the Dodgers don’t want to get rid of Gavin Lux as they see him as a part of their future. That could make someone like Max Muncy available then as they both could be a second baseman. The White Sox would be smart to go for someone like that in a Kimbrel deal.
Colson Montgomery was Chicago’s first-round draft pick in 2021. He is expected to be a very good player for them one day but he is a long way away. That could be perfect for a team like the Dodgers who can stand to use a few very good prospects that won’t be MLB ready for a while. With the lineup they have, they have plenty of time to let guys like that develop.
If the Dodgers did want to add one more depth lefty bat, Gavin Sheets is someone good that they can try to get with Kimbrel as well. He can mash home runs with the best of them and could get even better with time and experience.
The White Sox are not guaranteed to trade Craig Kimbrel but the Dodgers make a lot of sense if they do decide to do that. Without Jensen, they are missing a top closer for the first time in a long time. They will certainly figure it out either way but Kimbrel makes a ton of sense. Rick Hahn should be on the phone with them frequently.
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