Outfielder Manuel Margot is on the move again. The Los Angeles Dodgers traded Margot and infield prospect Rayne Doncon to the Minnesota Twins for infield prospect Noah Miller on Monday, reports ESPN. Neither team has announced the trade. Margot joined the Dodgers in the offseason's Tyler Glasnow trade after spending the last four seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays.
Margot, 29, is entering the final season of his contract. He is owed a $10 million salary in 2024 with a $2 million buyout of his $12 club option for 2025. The Rays are paying $4 million as part of the trade with the Dodgers-- $2 million in 2024 plus the $2 million buyout if Margot's option is declined -- so Margot is an $8 million player for the Twins.
Margot is a career .281/.341/.420 hitter against lefties and he will give the Twins needed center field insurance behind Byron Buxton. Buxton is planning to return to center field this season, though his injury history is lengthy, and a quality backup is a must. Margot can play the position and also provides a nice platoon option.
For the Dodgers, the trade clears a path for super utility man Enrique Hernández to rejoin the club. Hernández broke the news on his return himself:
Sources say….. I’m back!!!
1st to break news @myself— Enrique Hernández (@kikehndez) February 26, 2024
Hernández is expected to sign a one-year contract and is more versatile than Margot, and has been a similar lefty masher in his career. He and Chris Taylor would serve as righty platoon partners for the lefty-hitting James Outman and Jason Heyward.
Miller, 21, was the No. 36 pick in the 2021 draft. The infielder has yet to hit his stride in pro ball and is a career .220/.326/.318 hitter in 250 minor league games. He has yet to play above Single-A. Baseball America ranked Miller the No. 24 prospect in Minnesota's system before the trade. Doncon, 20, had a .651 OPS in Single-A in 2023.
The Twins went 87-75 and won the AL Central in 2023. They also snapped their record 18-game postseason streak. The Dodgers won 100 games and the NL West, but were swept in the Division Series.