The Los Angeles Dodgers were somewhat of a surprise victor in the race to sign free agent infielder Hyeseong Kim.
Kim, who turns 26 this month, receives a guarantee of three years and $12.5 million, with the possibility the contract can grow to $22 million over five years. He's coming off a strong season in which he slashed .326/.383/.458 with career-best marks in home runs (11) and strikeout rate (10.9 percent).
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Kim was primarily a second baseman in KBO, the top league in Korea, prompting many outsiders to question what the Dodgers will do with an apparent glut of capable fielders at the position.
Los Angeles general manager Brandon Gomes told reporters that the team is sticking with its plan to move Mookie Betts back to shortstop to begin the 2025 season, and holdover Gavin Lux at second base. The team also has two veterans who can back up both middle infield positions in Chris Taylor and Miguel Rojas.
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While Gomes insists that no move is necessary to make room for Kim on the Dodgers' major league roster, that doesn't mean a trade offer could change Gomes' mind.
Perhaps, then, it's no surprise that the Seattle Mariners have checked in with the Dodgers about the availability of Gavin Lux in a trade. Jon Morosi reported the news on MLB Network Monday and also on his Twitter/X account:
The Mariners have checked with the Dodgers about the availability of Gavin Lux, as we discussed on @MLBNetwork this morning.
The Dodgers have 6 middle infielders on their 40-man roster: Edman, Betts, Lux, Kim, Taylor, Rojas.@Seattle Sports
Lux, 27, slashed .251/.320/.383 for the Dodgers last season in 139 games. He also added six hits in 34 postseason at-bats (.176), along with five walks, as the Dodgers marched all the way to the World Series and claimed the eighth championship in franchise history.
Lux can become a free agent after the 2026 season. Between that and his lack of positional versatility, perhaps the Mariners can make a compelling case to the Dodgers to trade Lux now, and hitch their wagon to Kim as their primary second baseman — with Rojas and Taylor as fallback options.
Certainly the Mariners would benefit from having Lux in their 2025 lineup. FanGraphs currently projects their second base position to be a timeshare among Ryan Bliss, Dylan Moore and Cole Young, none of whom project to have a weighted on-base average at .300 or better.
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Lux is a career .252 hitter coming off a season in which he hit a career-high 10 home runs for the Dodgers. A left-handed hitter, Lux would help balance out a Seattle lineup that features two projected lefties — Luke Raley and J.P. Crawford — as well as switch-hitting catcher Cal Raleigh.
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