Gavin Lux trade: Reds acquire infielder from Dodgers with eyes on adding offense

It did not take the Los Angeles Dodgers long to move an infielder after signing Hyeseong Kim. The Dodgers have traded second baseman Gavin Lux to the Cincinnati Reds for minor league outfielder Mike Sirota and a competitive balance draft pick, the team announced Monday evening.

Los Angeles signed Kim to a three-year contract late last week, and, soon thereafter, GM Brandon Gomes said the team was not in a rush to trade an infielder. With Lux on the move, the Dodgers figure to lean on some combination of Kim, Mookie Betts, Miguel Rojas, Chris Taylor, and possibly Tommy Edman on the middle infield.

“I think it’s more that we’re adding a really talented player, and [then we’ll] see where things play out,” Gomes said after the Kim signing. “It’s helpful to have really strong pieces at a lot of different areas. So that’s how we’re viewing it right now.”

Lux, 27, slashed .251/.320/.383 with 10 home runs in 2024, his first season back from a torn ACL. He was significantly better in the second half (.899 OPS) than the first (.562 OPS) as he got further away from surgery. Lux is under team control through 2026 and projected to make $3 million or so through arbitration next season.

The Reds traded incumbent second baseman Jonathan India earlier this offseason and it’s unclear how they will align their infield with Lux, who struggled with his throwing last spring and was moved from shortstop to second base. Elly De La Cruz is locked in at short, and Matt McLain will return from shoulder surgery in 2025.

McLain was a 3.7-WAR player at second base as a rookie in 2023, though he hurt his shoulder diving for a ball last spring and needed surgery, causing him to miss the entire season. He played the outfield in college and in the Arizona Fall League this winter, so it’s possible McLain will move to the outfield, where the Reds have a need for another bat.

Sirota, 21, was Cincinnati’s third-round pick in the 2024 draft. He has not yet made his pro debut. MLB Pipeline ranked him the 14th-best prospect in the Reds’ system before the trade, saying he has “an intriguing collection of tools” and “speed (that) makes Sirota a legitimate longterm center fielder.”

Competitive balance picks are extra draft picks given to low-revenue and small-market teams each year. They are MLB’s only tradeable draft picks. The pick in this trade will likely fall in the No. 35 to 40 overall range. The exact spot will be finalized once the remaining qualified free agents have signed.

The Dodgers won an MLB-best 98 games in 2024 and are the reigning World Series champions. The Reds went 77-85 last season and have not been to the postseason since 2020. They haven’t reached the playoffs in a 162-game season since 2013.