Ask anyone in a Major League front office and they’ll readily admit that it’s very difficult to win at the big league level and maintain a continuously strong farm system. Prospects are either needed to help compete at the highest level or are used as trade pieces to improve that Major League roster. There are invariable cycles when the cupboards are more bare.
There are exceptions, and none bigger than the Dodgers. Say what you want about the team’s ability to spend on Major League players, but winning consecutive World Series while still having the No. 1 farm system in baseball is an impressive feat.
More from MLB Pipeline:
• Top 100 prospects | Stats | Video | Podcast | Complete coverage
The Dodgers manage to do it by utilizing every avenue of player procurement, and it’s not just blockbuster trades or big free agent signings. They use the Draft and international amateur market well and, perhaps most surprisingly, they bring in talented prospects via trades.
That might sound like something only a rebuilding team that’s selling at the Trade Deadline will do. But the Dodgers often manage to get prospects included in those bigger trades to keep their farm system rich with talent. Five of the top 10 prospects in the system have been acquired via trade.
“It starts with the organization’s goal to sustain success and compete for a championship every year,” Dodgers vice president of player development Will Rhymes said. “With that goal in mind, it’s essential to balance improving the current Major League roster with building for the future and adding back great prospects whenever we can.
“I think back to the Matt Beaty DFA trade for River Ryan and some of the other recent deals from the past year -- those moments fire us up in player development and motivate us immensely. Over the years, we’ve traded away a lot of really good players to improve the Major League team, so it’s always exciting to add players who help balance the system.”
In those deals from this past year, Los Angeles brought in four ranked prospects via trade. Let’s take a closer look at those acquisitions and what kind of players the Dodgers have on their hands.
Mike Sirota, OF (No. 5/MLB No. 64): A potential first-rounder who slid to the Reds in the third round of the 2024 Draft when he had a subpar spring at Northeastern, Sirota never officially played for the Reds. The Dodgers got him in January in return for Gavin Lux, and he climbed onto the Top 100 by hitting .333/.452/.616 over 59 games across two levels of A ball. A knee injury ended his season in early July, but he’s expected to be full strength for Spring Training. His speed and defense in center field are as valuable as his bat.
“We knew he was extremely talented and tooled out before acquiring him, but what we didn’t know was just how competitive and focused he is,” Rhymes said. “He impacts the game in every facet, and his work ethic and intensity toward his craft give us tremendous confidence that he’ll continue to dominate on his way to Los Angeles.”
James Tibbs III, OF/1B (No. 8): The No. 13 overall pick in 2024, Tibbs has already been traded twice in his career, both within six weeks of each other. He went from the Giants to the Red Sox in June in the big Rafael Devers deal, but spent just 30 games in Boston’s system before he was on the move again to the Dodgers in the Dustin May Deadline deal. He posted a .900 OPS with Double-A Tulsa after that trade and finished the year with 20 combined homers.
“It’s hard to remember another player who went through more in a first full season -- being traded twice and still navigating his way up to Double-A successfully,” Rhymes said. “It speaks to his resiliency, which is such a valuable trait. Everyone knows about the hitting ability, but I was also impressed with his defense in the outfield and at first base.”
Adam Serwinowski, LHP (No. 13): The Reds did an outstanding job scouting Serwinowski, taking him in the 15th round of the 2022 Draft out of high school and signing him. He was the epitome of a raw, high-ceiling prep arm, and he was making nice strides when he joined the Dodgers via the three-team trade that sent Hunter Feduccia to the Rays. The 6-foot-5 southpaw keeps adding strength and is already touching triple digits at times. The Dodgers are fantastic at helping pitching prospects like this take off, so 2026 could be huge for a guy who has already been striking out 11.6 per nine in his career.
“The word I heard most from our staff when describing Adam was ‘dawg,’’ Rhymes said. “He wants the ball and has zero fear. We love his ability to get deep into games by attacking hitters. As he continues to refine his arsenal, that mentality will take him a long way as a starting pitcher.”
Zach Ehrhard, OF (No. 27): The other prospect coming in that Dustin May trade, Ehrhard is an on-base machine who can steal bags (37 in 2025). The Red Sox had drafted him out of Oklahoma State in the fourth round of the 2024 Draft and he reached Double-A in his first full season. He profiles best as a fourth outfielder type, though if he keeps driving the ball more (14 homers, 30 doubles for the year; .857 OPS with Tulsa post-trade), perhaps he can be more.
“He never takes a pitch off on either side of the ball; he’s grinding and competing with the best of them,” Rhymes said. “We love the way he impacts the game with his speed on the bases and in the outfield in addition to being a well-balanced hitter.”