Hot Stove League Update: Dodgers Trade Gavin Lux; Lorenzen Re-signs With Reds

In a very weird turn of events, the Dodgers traded former first round draft pick and top prospect, Gavin Lux, to the Reds for their 2024 3'rd round draft pick, Mike Sirota, who has yet to play a professional game and the Reds Competitive Balance Round A draft pick.  I guess the writing was on the wall for Lux after the Dodgers signed Hyeseong Kim IF, who doesn't seem like as good a player as Lux, to a free agent contract although at the time they insisted the signing would not impact their starting infielders and Kim would play more of a super-utility role.  Lux has admittedly had his issues but he got red hot down the stretch last season and made a major contribution to the Dodgers championship run.  The move is kind of odd for the Reds too as they already have Elly De La Cruz at SS and Matt McLain at 2B.  Maybe Lux will play a utility role with them?  or maybe they will make another move?

And let's talk about the Dodgers and their vaunted scouting and development regime.  What do they have to show for it?  Yes, Will Smith is a pretty darn good catcher but he is the only homegrown player on their entire positional depth chart with Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May bringing up the rear of the starting pitching depth chart.  On the other hand you have complete busts in Miguel Vargas and Diego Cartaya and now Lux getting unceremoniously traded.  

I do not want to hear anymore complaining about how the Giants farm sytem and scouting/development programs compare unfavorably to the Dodgers.

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Michael Lorenzen RHP re-signed with the Royals for 1 yr/$7 M.  Lorenzen will be paid $5.5 M this season but with a buyout of $1.5 M on a $12 M mutual option.  Mutual options are almost never exercised by both parties so it's probably 1 yr/$7 M with $1.5 M deferred.  

Lorenzen hasn't exactly been an innings eater over his career but has pitched a total of 283 innings over his last two seasons with not terrible ERA's.  I continue to believe the Giants need a veteran starter who can take some of the heat off Logan Webb and buy time for the younger pitchers to sort themselves out.  While Lorenzen doesn't quite fill the innings eating role he has the best ERA of any of the remaining "value" options.  The contract he got from the Royals seems like one the Giants could have easily topped with money still to spare to make other additions.