OFFSEASON Meanwhile, Down on the Farm

@MLBPipeline
MLB's No. 15 prospect Josue De Paula delivers a 3-for-3 day (including a 110 mph RBI double!) for the @Dodgers
@Dodgers | @TulsaDrillers

 

I’ve wanted to do this for a while – compile a list of how the Dodgers obtained their top prospects. We know they rarely have high draft picks, so how exactly do they have one of the top farm systems?



1. De Paula – 2022 international free agent

2. Hope – from Cubs in Busch Trade

3. Quintero - 2023 international free agent

4. Sirota – from Reds in Lux trade

5. Morales - 2024 international free agent

6. Ryan – from Padres in Beaty trade

7. Ferris - from Cubs in Busch trade

8. Freeland – 2022 draft overall pick 105

9. Davalan – 2025 draft overall pick 41 which was from Reds in Lux trade

10.Zazueta – from Yankees in Ferguson trade

11.Tibbs – from Red Sox in May trade

12.Serwinowski – from Reds in Feduccia trade

13.Root – 2025 draft overall pick 40

14.George – 2023 draft overall pick 36

15.Ko – 2024 international free agent

16.Lindsey – 2024 draft overall pick 23

17.Harlan – 2024 draft overall pick 98

18.Ehrhard - from Red Sox in May trade

19.Nieves – 2023 international free agent

20.Ward – 2019 draft overall pick 251

21.Vargas – 2023 international free agent

22.Leiter – 2025 draft overall pick 65

23.Patick – 2023 draft overall pick 550

24.Hurt – from Marlins in Floro trade

25.Martin – 2022 draft overall pick 525

26.Hainline – 2024 draft overall pick 220

27.Vidourek – 2025 draft overall pick 104

28.Tunink – 2024 draft overall pick 250

29.N. Miller – from Twins in Margot trade

30.Copen – 2023 draft overall pick 220



Thoughts:

Dodgers make the most of trading away players - not always but often subpar - for potential that they then develop into even better potential. Also the international draft is an area in which they excel. Only two of their top ten prospects were via the conventional draft (and one of those was a pick acquired by trading Lux).

By the way, this ranking is the current MLB Pipeline top 30. Looks like it’s been updated since I last checked. Going off memory, I believe Nieves, Patick, Hainline, and Tunink are new additions.

Good to see George back up at 14. He was top ten at the beginning of last season, then dropped down to 25. His strong final two months got him a nice little bump.

Busch was the only player of significant value that was traded, with Lux to a smaller extent. Meanwhile, Feduccia, Ferguson, May, Floro, and especially Margot and Beaty were expendable, and all have helped stock the pond with some big fish.

As we know, teams that consistently win their division aren’t going to get top first round draft picks. The Dodgers highest on this list is Kellon Lindsey, taken #23. He was injured for much of last year – would love to see him healthy this year and start to justify that draft pick.

The same could be said for another SS, Joendry Vargas, who has also dealt with injuries. He got a $2.1M signing bonus as a top-ranked international prospect. To put this number in perspective, De Paula’s signing bonus was $400k and Quintero’s was $300k. I know we’re not going to win them all, but there’s a reason this guy got that much, and hopefully we see it in ’26.