The Dee Gordon trade is probably one of the more polarizing issues with fans of the Los Angeles Dodgers. On the surface, it’s easy to break it down to the Dodgers sending Gordon – a second baseman with upside – for Howie Kendrick – once seen as a second baseman with tremendous upside.
Kendrick is now a free agent and Dee Gordon just led the NL in batting average, steals and hits – all in a season where he won the Gold Glove.
ICYMI: Joe Davis Added to Broadcast Team. Is He Vin’s Replacement?
It’s safe to say the Dodgers didn’t anticipate all that production a season after they moved him. Here’s GM Farhan Zaidi speaking with Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times.
“I would say he exceeded our expectations,” Zaidi said. “I think he exceeded everybody’s expectations. That’s a testament to him and his work ethic and his ability to improve. There were definitely people in our organization that felt like he had shown that ability to improve.”
The issue with looking at the deal on the surface is that it overlooks everything else involved in the trade.
Kike Hernandez and Chris Hatcher were both brought over, along with Austin Barnes. They were also able to move Dan Haren’s contract, which gave them some much-needed flexibility financially.
Look, the issue with discussions about almost everything in our culture is the desire for things to be one way or the other. The answers tend to be in the shades of grey.
In this case, it’s possible – if not altogether likely – that the Dodgers made a good deal, while also being taken by surprise by Gordon’s immediate growth in a different situation.
It doesn’t have to be one thing or the other and in this case, crushing the front office for the trade while also hoping the Dodgers bring back Kendrick and complimenting Hatcher for what he brought as a setup man or Kike for his versatility is kind of ridiculous.
Would it be nice to have Gordon on the roster still? Of course.
Is it also nice to fill other hole in the roster by giving him up? Yep. Both can be true.
And, if the Dodgers are able to find a replacement at second base this offseason – either by bringing back Kendrick, signing someone else or making a trade – the front office comes out slightly ahead in the deal.
If they aren’t able to do any of that, then we can look at the deal again through that lens. I’d prefer we look through a lens that features a greyscale.
[button color=”blue” size=”big” alignment=”center” rel=”follow” openin=”newwindow” url=”https://www.dodgersnation.com/dodgers-rumors-nl-west-team-involved-trade-braves-simmons/2015/11/11/”]Next: NL West Team In Talks for Braves’ Simmons[/button]
3 Pings & Trackbacks
Pingback:Dodgers' Zaidi: Ethier "Fits Well" Moving Forward | Dodgers Nation
Pingback:Dee Gordon, The Dodgers, Yasiel Puig And Underestimating Potential | Dodgers Nation
Pingback:Dodgers News | Rumors: Kershaw, Greinke, AND Price? | Dodgers Nation