Dodgers trade Lux to Reds

The Cincinnati Reds acquired infielder Gavin Lux from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for outfield prospect Mike Sirota and a competitive balance round A draft pick, the teams announced.

Lux, 27, hit .251/.320/.383 with 10 home runs and 50 RBIs across 139 games with the Dodgers last season. Due to his struggles against left-handers, he was primarily deployed at second base against right-handed pitching as part of a platoon. He was their primary starter at the keystone during the postseason and had a key at-bat in their World Series-clinching win at Yankee Stadium.

His place in the Dodgers' infield became more of a question after L.A. added another left-handed hitting infielder, Korean star second baseman Hyeseong Kim, last week.

At the time of Kim's signing, general manager Brandon Gomes had said Lux was still slated to be the Dodgers' starting second baseman. Now, L.A. can shift Mookie Betts from shortstop to second - his natural infield spot - while Kim and Miguel Rojas work in a shortstop platoon.

With Matt McLain due to return at second base after missing 2024, the Reds are preparing to use Lux all over the diamond in a utility role. Although second has been his primary position, Lux has big-league experience at shortstop and left field. He was supposed to be L.A.'s shortstop last season before swapping spots with Betts amid throwing issues in spring training.

"We look at (Lux) as a guy that's going to play second base, play some outfield and DH some in spring training. We'll also give him a look at third and short and see where it is, see where he is defensively with all those positions," president of baseball operations Nick Krall said, according to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. "We think that he's a quality left-handed hitter that just lengthens our lineup out."

Lux owns a lifetime .709 OPS across parts of five seasons with the Dodgers. The Wisconsin native is entering his second year of arbitration and is projected by MLB Trade Rumors to earn $2.7 million in 2025.

The New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners reportedly had interest in trading for Lux before he was sent to Cincinnati.

To make room for Lux on the 40-man roster, Cincinnati designated reliever Roansy Contreras for assignment.

Sirota, the prospect heading to L.A., was Cincinnati's third-round pick out of Northeastern this past summer. The 21-year-old, a grandnephew of Hall of Fame pitcher Whitey Ford, boosted his draft stock by hitting .298/.473/.513 with seven homers, 37 RBIs, and 19 steals as a junior with Northeastern.

The Dodgers originally drafted Sirota as a high-schooler in 2021.

The pick Cincinnati is sending to the Dodgers is the 37th overall selection in the 2025 draft. The trade gives the Dodgers two picks - the 37th and 40th overall choices - in competitive balance round A, which falls immediately after the first round. Cincinnati's pick cannot be traded a second time.