The Giants aren’t special, OK? And to the extent that they were when they were winning World Series and actually competing with anyone, that’s certainly not the case now. They’re a complete mess is what they are. They’ll make the best deals they can when they can, regardless of the trade partner.
The notion that the Dodgers can’t swing a trade with the Giants is, in a word, poppycock. Hooey, twaddle and balderdash work too.
Los Angeles hasn’t traded with San Francisco historically — the teams have consummated just three deals since moving west from New York in 1958, and once since Y2K — but so what? The Dodgers have made only two trades with division competitor San Diego during the millennium. They’ve made just two with Detroit since 2000, three with Houston and three with Texas during that time. They’re not purposely avoiding all those clubs. You just match up with who you match up with. You deal with people with whom you’re comfortable.
The old Dodgers-won’t-deal-within-the-division is silliness too. They’ve made seven trades with Arizona during the past two decades, and six with Colorado.
The Giants aren’t special, OK? And to the extent that they were when they were winning World Series and actually competing with anyone, that’s certainly not the case now. They’re a complete mess is what they are. They’ll make the best deals they can when they can, regardless of the trade partner. L. A. isn’t ruling out any one team either. If Frisco has a player that Andrew Friedman thinks can help his club, he’ll call his former general manager, Farhan Zaidi, and talk turkey. The rivalry is not a barrier to doing business. It’s not and can’t be.
The Friedman-Zaidi relationship should not be understated. The Dodgers’ president of baseball operations traded with his former-employee Alex Anthopoulos in December, 2017, less than a month after Anthopoulos went to Atlanta to serve as executive vice president and general manager. Additionally, the teams have each purchased a player from the other in the last 18 months, with Adam McCreery going to the L. A. organization and Josh Ravin going to the Braves. #Nevermore.
Whether the Giants have anyone that Friedman actually wants is something else. Madison Bumgarner’s name has been bandied about as a trade candidate, and someone the Giants might deal and then re-target when he hits free agency in the coming off-season. But does Los Angeles really need another declining left-hander with less life on his fastball than was evident before? And a starter at that. And a guy who wouldn’t come cheap? I don’t think so.
Lefty-reliever Will Smith (yeah, yeah, yeah; the Dodgers have a catcher named Will Smith, and he made his major league debut with “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” as his walk-up music Tuesday) is a genuine commodity. He’s in his walk year working on a tiny $4,225,000 salary and is following up his fine 2018 season (2.55 ERA, 0.981 WHIP, 14 saves and 71 strikeouts in 53 innings) with an even better 2019 (2.49,0.738,13 saves and 30 strikeouts in 21 1/3 innings).
Smith is closing in San Francisco but would set up for Los Angeles, filling in for Kenley Jansen as needed. And he’s great. While Friedman’s MO is to look for the more obscure trade candidate, and one he can get for a spare part — to his detriment, I’d argue — for a match this good I’d like to believe he can be persuaded to make a deal. If not by Zaidi than perhaps by the remaining Dodgers brass, or the guys in the clubhouse, kicking and screaming and desperate for a championship.
Friedman can make that deal, and he can do so in June, and he can start the conversation now. But Smith is just one possibility. There were so many good relievers traded last summer and signed over the winter that I’ve almost lost track. The Dodgers got Joe Kelly, when they could have had Ryan Pressly or Adam Ottavino or a number of other successful players. Plenty more will be available shortly.
The Dodgers don’t have to trade with San Francisco, but you’re kidding yourself if you don’t think they can.
Notes:
1. The Dodgers and Giants franchises have made 29 deals going back to 1893, when the New York Giants purchased John Ward from the Brooklyn Bridegrooms for $6000. Ward is an interesting Hall of Fame member, who’s lifetime numbers look like this:.
