Oh baby!!! This rumor is music to my ears. The trade rumor as reported by Tony Jackson of ESPN Los Angeles goes like this:
The Los Angeles Dodgers are actively involved in discussions on a possible three-player deal with the Milwaukee Brewers that would bring slugging first baseman Prince Fielder to Los Angeles in exchange for Dodgers first baseman James Loney and embattled closer Jonathan Broxton, according to multiple sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Trading for Fielder would provide the Dodgers with a middle of the order hitter they have been lacking in 2010. The price of James Loney and Jonathan Broxton is fair in my eyes as Loney is probably in his last year as a Dodger anyway and Broxton suffered through a horrible second half which saw him lose his closers job.
Should this deal go down, I am curious if the Dodgers would be in the market for a closer, either via free agency or trade, or if they would go with a closer by committee with Hong-Chi Kuo and Kenley Jansen? Or they could sign Vicente Padilla and make him their closer, which has been rumored over on MLB.com.
The Dodgers lineup would look like this:
Rafael Furcal, SS
Matt Kemp, CF
Andre Ethier, RF
Prince Fielder, 1B
Juan Uribe, 2B
Casey Blake, 3B
Jay Gibbons/platoon, LF
Rod Barajas, C
Stay tuned, as I will be on top of this rumor.
UPDATE (Monday 9:12 PM EST):
Update from Tony Jackson at ESPN LA:
A big trade rumor flared and died quickly as multiple sources said theLos Angeles Dodgers were actively involved in discussions to acquire Milwaukee Brewers slugging first baseman Prince Fielder, only to have a high-ranking Dodgers source say later Monday that there was nothing to it.
Well, you never know though. Ned has denied other moves in the past.