{"id":7651,"date":"2024-12-05T03:00:31","date_gmt":"2024-12-05T03:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=7651"},"modified":"2024-12-05T03:00:31","modified_gmt":"2024-12-05T03:00:31","slug":"breaking-dodgers-top-prospect-considered-potential-trade-candidate-this-offseason","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=7651","title":{"rendered":"BREAKING: Dodgers Top Prospect Considered Potential Trade Candidate This Offseason"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Oklahoma<\/picture><\/figure>\n
Oklahoma City’s Dalton Rushing (21) flies out during a baseball game between the Oklahoma City Baseball Club and the Round Rock Express at the Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. \/ BRYAN TERRY\/THE OKLAHOMAN \/ USA TODAY NETWORK<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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In a fun experiment, an MLB.com reporter decided to propose a trade candidate for each of the 30 Major League Baseball clubs \u2014 and for the Los Angeles Dodgers, the one Mark Feinsand created actually makes sense.<\/p>\n

After signing a massive contract extension, Will Smith is blocking\u00a0Daulton Rushing<\/a>\u00a0from debuting behind the plate for Los Angeles. That could also be why the organization’s top prospect found himself\u00a0playing left field\u00a0<\/a>in Triple-A during the 2024 season.<\/p>\n

“Los Angeles\u2019 No. 1 prospect and No. 39 in baseball, Rushing is blocked at the big league level by Will Smith, who signed a $140 million contract extension through 2033,”\u00a0writes Feinsand.<\/a>\u00a0“The Dodgers began playing him in the outfield in 2024, but given the dearth of young catching around the league, he could prove to be more valuable as a trade chip.”<\/p>\n

It also doesn’t help Rushing’s case that backup catcher Austin Barnes will be back for another year after his club option was exercised.<\/p>\n

However, if Teoscar Hern\u00e1ndez doesn’t re-sign with the Dodgers, there is an immediate hole in the outfield that Rushing could fill despite his lack of experience. Perhaps, the Dodgers were preparing him for a future as a versatile utility man rather than only a backstop.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn all my years of playing baseball, I played just one inning in the outfield before this year,\u201d\u00a0Rushing said before his first game with Triple-A Oklahoma City.\u00a0\u201cThis has been a quick turnaround and a little bit of an adjustment, but that is just kind of the lifestyle.\u201d<\/p>\n

Between Double-A and Triple-A, Rushing slashed .271\/.385\/.512 with 26 home runs and 85 RBIs. During his stint in Tulsa, Rushing hit .271 in 281 at-bats with 17 home runs, 44 runs scored, and 59 runs batted in through 77 games.<\/p>\n

Joel Reuter of\u00a0Bleacher Report\u00a0listed Rushing as a potential trade piece, as well.<\/p>\n

“The Los Angeles Dodgers shifted Dalton Rushing to left field down the stretch, and with Will Smith signed to a long-term deal and backup Austin Barnes back for another year after his club option was exercised, that could be his future home,” Reuter writes.<\/p>\n

“The 23-year-old has little left to prove in the minors offensively after hitting .273\/.396\/.511 with 15 extra-base hits in 169 plate appearances at Triple-A, giving him added appeal as a controllable, MLB-ready bat.”<\/p>\n

His patience and attitude throughout the year proved to be more of a big-league mindset. He isn’t wanting to rush the process just to make his major league debut, he wants to help the club win in whatever way he can.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have one goal,\u201d\u00a0Rushing said.\u00a0\u201cI want to help the big team win as many games as they possibly can. I am here to learn, get as much practice in left field as I can and do whatever they ask me to do.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Oklahoma City’s Dalton Rushing (21) flies out during a baseball game between the Oklahoma City Baseball Club and the Round Rock Express at the Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7655,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7651","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\nBREAKING: Dodgers Top Prospect Considered Potential Trade Candidate This Offseason - 24\/7 News America<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=7651\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"BREAKING: Dodgers Top Prospect Considered Potential Trade Candidate This Offseason - 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