Dodgers interest in Dozier is picking up

The LA #Dodgers are the most aggressive team in trade talks with the #Twins for 2B Brian Dozier, and have now piqued Minnesota's interest.

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 4, 2016

The Winter Meetings are starting today in the Baltimore area this afternoon. It is the time of year when the most activity happens in the off-season, and the biggest area of speculation surrounding the Twins is the status of Brian Dozier. The Twins haven’t historically been major players during this three day window, but there is a new sheriff in town. Word from Bob Nightengale of USA Today is that the Dodgers seem to be in the driver’s seat for the Twins all star second baseman, and until we get a full sense of the kind of GM Thad Levine is, we would be wise to pay attention to the rumor mill.

If the Dodgers are piquing the Twins’ interest, that can only mean one thing. They are willing to trade one of their top prospects. I believe that Jose DeLeon is the pitching prospect that the Twins would frame a trade around, and I believe that this is where the Dodgers would be offering to pique the Twins interest. For the official “wowing” that Levine has insisted would need to happen, I think the Dodgers would need to, therefore, include another of their top prospects.

The Dodgers are interested in reducing payroll this season, and in order to allow the Twins to acquire two top 10 prospects, they might ask the Twins to take back some payroll. If Minnesota is loathe to do that (probably) this might necessitate another team in the mix. This is the point where Terry Ryan would bolt, I assume. I trust Thad Levine and Derek Falvey to stick it out, to make sure that they see it through, if there is a good deal to be had.

So this is what I can see happening, or at the very least, something like this.

Twins Get:
SP Jose DeLeon
2b Willie Calhoun
P Ricardo Pinto

Dodgers Get:
2b Brian Dozier
SP Taylor Rogers

Phillies Get:
Yasiel Puig

Or something like that. I don’t think it’s going to be a simple trade if Dozier goes, but I do expect that the Twins will work hard to see that something gets done.