The Dodgers were just gifted a GOLDEN Opportunity...

The Dodgers were just gifted a golden opportunity, as after getting swept out of the NLCS by the Brewers, the worst spot on the roster might have just been handed a fix. The Dodgers' second baseman finished the year with a 676 OPS combined, the lowest of any position on the team. Now to Miami Herald's Barry Jackson report on the Marlins that listed two cheap infielders who can play right there for him. Not shop, though. Just listen. The difference does matter, and I'll get to it in today's show. But I'll tell you why this is still a golden opportunity for the Dodgers they must pounce on. Six different players took second base for the Dodgers this year, and it was the worst position on the team. Everywhere else, the lineup hit. Otani had an 8.89 OPS. Muncy, 8.37. Paz had an 8.11, Freeman at 7.92, and then rushing at the catching position, 7.88 OPS. Second base was the outlier, and it wasn't close. Miguel Rojas, Quique Hernandez, Santiago Espinal are all off the books for 2027. What's left is Tommy Edmund at a 714 OPS, Alex Freeland at a 652, and Hyesung Kim at 651, even with trade rumors for Kim and Freeland out there too. Add up what those three gave the Dodgers in wins above replacement, and it's 1.6 for Edmund, 1.1 for Freeland, and 0.5 for Kim. Rojas, who hit a 7-0-3 OPS in the mix, had told people he is officially retiring, so no more Rojas at second base for us. Nobody hands that group a lineup spot on a team trying to win a title and then stops looking at it. So the question isn't whether the Dodgers need a second baseman, it's who is out there and what is the cost. To see why this matters so much, remember how the season ended. In October, Andrew Freeman acknowledged the offense's second half swoon and said he was still searching for answers. The Brewers swept them in four games, and the lineup just never really got going. I mean, look at the strikeouts. Alex Freeland struck out 27.5% of the time this year, Edmund at 20.2%. Meanwhile, the options, Lopez struck out at 13% of the time, which ranks in the 93rd percentile in baseball, and Edwards, who struck out at 14% of the time in the 88th percentile. A lineup that went cold once bats, that put the ball in play. These two guys, they do just that. Let's start with Otto Lopez. He hit .305 with a .349 on-base percentage, and his 191 hits led all of baseball. He stole 34 bases and was worth 5.9 wins above replacement on fan graphs. Against left-handed pitching, Lopez posted a 1,084 OPS and 51 plate appearances. That's a small sample, but it's a monster number. He's a silver slugger finalist at shortstop up against C.J. Abrams and Elly De La Cruz. Then there's Xavier Edwards. He hit .280 with a .360 on-base percentage and walked 11.4% of the time. Now, quick one before we go on. As of right now, who would you rather have, Lopez or Edwards? Drop it down in the comments section for us. Now, he's still 21 bases, but hit just six home runs with a .371 slugging percentage. He's a table setter. He's not a thumper. Now, he missed about two weeks in the fall with a thumb sprain, and it will be trade rumors notes his defense at second slipped this year. Put them next to the Dodgers and what they had. Lopez is at .786 OPS. Edwards at .730. The Dodgers' second baseman combined at .676. Speed, it is another piece. The Dodgers' leading base stealer this year, Andy Pages, had 13 steals. Lopez had 34. Edwards had 21. And there's the shortstop question. On October 22nd, Freeman said that of Mookie Betts' movie-backed shortstop, that Miguel Rojas has fingerprints around a lot of that. So if Mookie stays at short, a shortstop like Lopez, he'd be moving over to second base, which is a luxury, not a problem. Both, however, would be a step up. The next part is why they're a gift and not just an upgrade. Now, there is some things that worry about a lot, but Lopez, and it's what Miami's price is built on. In 2024, Lopez had a 690 OPS. In 2025, it was 672. Then this year, popped up in 26 with a 786 OPS. His hard hit rate climbed from 38.4% to 43.4% and a big jump. So that's a real change now he hits the ball, not just luck on singles. But at the end of the day, it's only one year of it. Edwards, however, is the opposite shape. He had an 820 OPS in 2024, 695 in 2025, and then 730 this past year. But his hard hit rate went up every year, 24.4%, then 29.6%, then this year, 36.8%. There's a hole in his swing, though. Edwards has a 1.050 OPS against fastballs, however, a .583 against breaking balls. One is a breakout that has to hold. The other is a hitter getting stronger whose OPS hasn't followed just yet. Now, they're different bets, but overall, they're bets worth taking. Here's the thing about the Dodgers right now. Their 2027 tax payroll is projected $390 million. Against a tax line of $247, that's a lot on a tax bill. Five players make up $192.3 million of it, and Kyle Tucker, Shohei Ohtani, Blake Snell, Mookie Betts, and Tyler Glasnow. It's $143 million over. When you're $143 million over, a $30 million second baseman isn't a plan. Cheap is the only kind of player you in theory could add, but it's also the Dodgers. We know that they are going to go out there and spend to their heart contents. Now, Lopez is projected at $5.4 million in arbitration next year. Edwards is projected at $3.5 million. Even together, that's $8.9 million. Kyle Tucker alone makes $57.2 million. So both of them cost about one-sixth of Tucker's contract. And both are under team control through the 2029 season, per MLB Trade Rumors. Tommy Edman is signed at $13 million a year through 2029, with the club option for 2030. And again, he finished the .714 OPS. So, Edman's deal isn't really the problem. He's a piece at second base, and, you know, he needs an everyday bat in some way right now. But again, there is some trade rumors around him. A cheap second baseman for three more seasons for a lineup that just got swept, well, that's gold right there. Now, the catch, as there always is in any of these trades. Jackson's report says Miami will listen if teams offer a lot. But that's all it says. They're not necessarily shopping them out and wanting to sell, and no Dodgers name is attached to either one of them. Miami already said no at the deadline as Boston's talk for Lopez died August 1st over Franklin Arias, and Miami wanted elite prospects, which the Dodgers do have, but is it worth it to go out there and get Otto Lopez or Xavier Edwards? The Yankees have liked Edwards for years, per Joel Sherman, though they are expected to play Volpe at second. Miami finished the year 80-82 after a 12-game losing streak, and nobody there is forced to sell. Dodgers Nation put it simply, the Marlins don't need either of them urgently, so no rush means no discount. So gifted maybe is a little generous, but Miami didn't give anything away, it just cracked the door. And look at what each one is. Lopez put up a 5.9 WAR in 2026. Edwards put up 7.1 WAR across 2024 and 2026 in three seasons. That's why Miami wants elite prospect talent for Lopez. He's just had the year. That sells. And the Dodgers, they aren't giving off any clear signals just yet in the offseason. In October, Dodgers beat reporter Friedman said L.A. has plans to be aggressive this offseason. But then Dodgers Nation posted on November 5th so that they are not going to make any big moves and will lean on internal development. Both, in theory, can be true, and a trade like this is kind of how we find out. So what does a lot look like for the Dodgers? Before this season, MLB Pipeline had five Dodgers prospects in its top 100. Josue de Paula at 15, Zaire Hope at 27, Eduardo Quintero at 30, Mike Sirota at 60, and Mew Morales at 92. Now, while Zaire Hope is gone, you still have got now the number one prospect in baseball, Josue de Paula, who's in the majors, and of course, a lot of guys behind him like Mike Sirota. Which is currency. The Dodgers have it, and the stars on the roster don't have to move. And they've paid it before. In July of 2024, they got Tommy Edman, Oliver Gonzalez, and Kopech at a three-team deal that sent Miguel Vargas, Raul Perez, and Alexander Albertos to the White Sox. Dodgers Nation, in the article that started this, argues Edwards is the better fit because he's likely going to cost a bit less and has a more stable track record. And it says Lopez is likely the more expensive of the two. Which I agree. I mean, that's an opinion, but numbers back it up. Three steady years against one great one. The cheaper price, it all points toward that being the better option and that, you know, Edwards is the guy that the Dodgers should actively pursue over Lopez. But it's a short window. Lopez and Edwards come with three more seasons, so do you expect Miami to ask for a lot more? And the Dodgers, they have other doors. Jim Bowden said on November 2nd that C.J. Abrams is the guy I want at second base if I'm the Dodgers. And we know that Abrams has two arbitration years left per MLB Trade Rumors. Other names that have been in circulation, Bill Bichette, who could have been moved to second, maybe is on the trade block, but his price tag is high. Jazz Chisholm Jr. is a free agent. He had 19 homers and 41 steals. There's definitely other options, but this, to me, is the best one. However, none of that changes the math. 8.9 million for both is going to be hard to beat, and even just getting one of them. So is this gold overall? I think it is, and either way, the Dodgers, they're going to get something they didn't have this October. A second baseman who is actually a threat. At least that's the plan. Edwards is the safe fit. He fixes the 676, he's cheaper, and he's been steady for three years, and personally, I think he's the better option overall. Lopez is the big swing, and if the Dodgers do believe that a 305 year is who he really is, well, he's the best vendor they could add on the trade market this offseason. But golden also means the right price, and if Miami wants them for Lopez, obviously take Edwards and walk away happy. If the price is fair, the Dodgers should be on the phone tomorrow. Would you give up a top prospect for Lopez? And do you believe that he can continue? Yes or no? Let me know down in the comment section. And for now, guys, we'll see you in the next one. Peace out.