Dodgers-Reds trade could help Padres with offloading Luis Arráez

The Cincinnati Reds and Los Angeles Dodgers stuck a deal on Monday. The Reds acquired longtime Dodgers' infielder Gavin Lux in exchange for outfield prospect Mike Sirota and Cincinnati's Competitive Balance draft pick. The Dodgers had been shopping Lux since signing Korean infielder Kim Hye-seong last week, and the Reds had been searching for a replacement for second baseman Jonathan India.

While the Friar faithful don't like to bother themselves with the trivial dealing of their NL West rivals, the San Diego Padres were certainly paying attention to the return LA received from Cincinnati in exchange for Lux.

Why? Because it should give Padres' President of Baseball Operations A.J. Preller an idea of the type of return San Diego could receive if the team follows through on the notion of trading infielder Luis Arráez.

Padres Rumors: Dodgers-Reds trade could help San Diego offload Luis Arráez

Arráez could be well on his way to playing for his fourth team in as many seasons despite the fact he's taken home the batting title the past three seasons. The Padres acquired Arráez from the Miami Marlins last spring, but despite a successful first season in San Diego, his name has come up in trade talks. The Padres are strapped for cash, and shelling out an estimated $15 million for Arráez next season won't help in that department.

The Dodgers' return for Lux included a former third-round pick in Sirota; a player LA drafted back in 2021. The outfielder failed to sign with the Dodgers and after three years at Northeastern, was selected with the 87th overall pick in last year's draft. The Dodgers also received what amounts to the No. 37 selection in the 2025 MLB Draft. Last year, that pick carried a value of about $2.5 million.

There are some differences between the value teams will likely put on Arráez versus what the Dodgers received in exchange for Lux. Arráez will be a free agent after next season, while Lux has two years of team control remaining. Neither player is an elite defender, but Arráez's numbers place him among the worse in the game. Both players are the same age, and Arráez is the more decorated player with three All-Star trips, two Silver Sluggers, and three batting titles.

With all that as a backdrop, the return Los Angeles received for Lux is about all San Diego should expect to receive for Arráez on the trade market. The salary difference is the biggest outlier, but given Arráez's offensive profile, the Padres should be able to extract a similar trade package if they truly intend to move the 27-year-old this offseason.

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