Might the Reds and Dodgers swap top prospects?

The Los Angeles Dodgers have been uncharacteristically quiet this winter, haven't they? After winning 111 games in 2022 and bowing out to their divisino rival in the postseason, one would assume that LA would have been agressive in the free agent market.

But alas, the Dodgers have seen Trea Turner sign a mega-deal with the defending NL Champion Philadelphia Phillies, Tyler Anderson and Andrew Heaney leave via free agency, and it appears as though former Cincinnati Reds farmhand Justin Turner is unlikely to return in 2023.

After back-to-back winters have seen LA lose their starting shortstop, one might think that the Dodgers will need a replacement heading into next season. Might Los Angeles and Cincinnati be able to workout a mutually beneficial trade in the coming weeks?

Might the Reds and Dodgers swap top prospects?

The Cincinnati Reds are reportedly aggressively shopping their top shortstop prospects with an eye toward landing an equally talented outfielder. It just so happens that the Los Angeles Dodgers have a budding outfield prospect on their roster.

Andy Pages just returned from an impressive trip to the Arizona Fall League. Pages was part of the same Glendale Desert Dogs squad as Reds prospects Noelvi Marte, Matt McLain, and Rece Hinds.

During his stint in the AFL, Pages slashed .296/.398/.506 with five home runs. Those numbers mimic the type of stats that Pages has posted since joining the Dodgers state-side in 2018. For his minor league career, the 22-year-old has hit .256/.374/.528.

Andy Pages ranks as the Los Angeles Dodgers' fifth-highest minor league prospect in the team's farm system according to MLB Pipeline. Cincinnati Reds shortstop prospect Matt McLain is his club's fifth highest-rated prospect. Both ranks among the Top 100 in the sport.

Pages would bring that power-hitting, right-handed outfield bat that the Reds are craving, while McLain could provide the Dodgers with the versatile infield defender LA needs. Gavin Lux was a highly-rated prospect prior to his MLB debut, but his defense has been questionable to say the least and saw the majority of time at second base in 2022 with Trea Turner holding down the left side.

This would appear to be a mutually beneficial deal for both sides, and while a few other mid-tier prospects may be necessary to complete such a transaction, this is the type of deal the Cincinnati Reds should be pursuing as the offseason continues to unfold.