Brewers could benefit from one member of speculated Dodgers forthcoming roster crunch

The Dodgers have been one of the most aggressive teams in the offseason, looking to strengthen their roster and defend their World Series title. As such, they've started to trade players off their roster. Gavin Lux became the first player, as Los Angeles traded him to the Reds after signing Hyeseong Kim. More moves will follow, and the Milwaukee Brewers could take advantage of the Dodgers' surplus of talent.

Sonja Chen, Dodgers beat writer for MLB.com, published a piece on players that could be dealt soon. The three players she listed were Miguel Rojas, Chris Taylor, and James Outman. The Dodgers could also put up some of their young pitchers on the block, but given they'll be down five starters on Opening Day they might not want to deal from there.

Of the three players listed as potential trade candidates, both Rojas and Taylor could make sense for the Brewers in the right deal, while Outman does not make much sense in any scenario due to their own crowded outfield situation.

The Brewers could benefit from a Dodgers infielder getting squeezed off the roster

If the Dodgers bring back fan favorite Kiké Hernández, that could push Rojas or Taylor off the roster. Taylor seems like the most logical candidate to get bumped off due to the position overlap with
Hernández but Milwaukee should push for Rojas due to superior defensive coverage and a much cheaper cost. The Dodgers can get by with Kim as the backup to Mookie Betts for 15-20 games in addition to his duties as the second baseman against right-handed pitching.

Rojas can provide coverage at second base, shortstop, and third, as he's capable of playing all three spots at a high level defensively. With Oliver Dunn and Brice Turang, both left-handed hitters, set to be the primary starters at second and third, the right-handed hitting Rojas is an ideal backup/platoon partner. He was also still a very skilled shortstop in his age 35 season, with Statcast rating his defense at +11 Outs Above Average at the position. He could also serve as a veteran mentor to Joey Ortiz, who is set to take over after Willy Adames signed with the San Francisco Giants in free agency.

Rojas isn't a big threat in the lineup, with limited power and on-base skills, but his ability to consistently put the ball in play and hit for a solid average makes him playable offensively. He hit .283 last season, backed up by a .283 xBA by Statcast. With the defensive coverage he brings and his relatively consistent skill set at the plate, Rojas would be an ideal fifth infielder for the Brewers.

The downside toward a Rojas deal is he'll turn 36 next month. While he has less mileage on the body than the typical player of his age, there will come a point where he can't play the game at a high level. However, the risk would be worth the reward for the Brewers if the Dodgers made him available in the trade market.

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