MLB trade grades: Dodgers flip Gavin Lux to the most confusing destination imaginable

From the moment word broke that the Los Angeles Dodgers had signed Korean infielder Hyeseong Kim, it seemed like Gavin Lux's time in L.A. had come to an end. A former first-round pick way back in 2016, Lux started to show flashes of that pedigree the further removed he got from his torn ACL last season. But those flashes never showed up for the long haul, and with Kim — a player who offers pretty much the exact same combination of hit tool, athleticism and defensive versatility — in tow, sending him elsewhere always seemed more likely than letting him languish on the bench or in Triple-A.

Sure enough, the Lux trade everyone predicted did in fact materialize on Monday evening. The destination, though, was a shocker: Rather than an infield-needy team like the New York Yankees or Seattle Mariners, Lux is headed to ... the Cincinnati Reds, a team that had such an infield surplus earlier this winter that it shipped Jonathan India to Kansas City in return for Brady Singer. But according to ESPN's Jeff Passan, Cincy decided it still wasn't enough, sending 2024 third-round pick Mike Sirota and the No. 37 pick in the 2025 MLB Draft to Los Angeles in return for Lux.

On one side, this was a fait accompli. On the other, this is bound to leave fans and onlookers scratching their head. Let's break it down.

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MLB Trade Grades: Reds inexplicably add another infielder in Gavin Lux trade with Dodgers

Dodgers grade: B+

With Mookie Betts at short and players like Kim, Chris Taylor and even Tommy Edman looming as options to play second, the Dodgers simply didn't have much of a need for Lux — especially not as he enters arbitration and has only two years remaining before hitting free agency. And in return for what was essentially a spare part, Andrew Friedman managed to secure a top-100 pick in last year's draft as well as the 37th overall pick in this year's.

To put it simply, that's some pretty good business. Yes, their budget is more or less unlimited, but the Dodgers have also been a player development machine now, taking flawed but intriguing prospects and putting them on the path to becoming Major League contributors. (Just look at what they did with outfielder Zyhir Hope, who's taken off since being acquired from the Chicago Cubs in the Michael Bucsh trade last year.) Sirota sure looks like he could be next in line: The Reds took him in the third round last summer after a three-year career at Northeastern in which he slashed .324/.458/.577. Combine that with a couple of loud summers on the Cape, and you get a guy who combines legitimate center-field athleticism with the ability to barrel the ball to all fields.

There are question marks here, of course; Sirota took a step back in his junior season with the Huskies, and it's an open question whether he'll be able to hit for power at the big-league level. But the Dodgers just happen to excel at teaching players how to pull the ball in the air, and Sirota has the physical tools to become a starter in due time. If you're wondering how L.A. remains at the top of the league on a yearly basis, here's your answer.

Reds grade: D

The Reds, meanwhile ... well, this is why they aren't at the top of the league on a yearly basis. Regardless of how you felt about Brady Singer, you could see the vision behind the India trade, which brought some stability to a volatile starting rotation while clearing the infield for Jeimer Candelario, Matt McClain, Elly De La Cruz, Spencer Steer, Noelvi Marte and Christian Encarnacion-Strand (plus top prospects Edwin Arroyo and Cam Collier).

Now, though, Cincinnati is back to the same old logjam: Sure, Lux has played all over both the infield and the outfield in his career, but the ACL tear appeared to take a chunk out of his formerly plus speed, and his bat doesn't look nearly as good in left or right field. He's a player who needs to be playing up the middle to return value, but the Reds are already full on those sorts of players, with TJ Friedl currently occupying the glove-first center fielder role. Maybe Lux manages to put it all together and realize his top prospect potential, but it sure feels like his ceiling is capped at league-average bat who can stand everywhere on the field, which makes this a curious allocation of resources for a team that could use a big corner outfield bat in its farm system.