- Gavin Lux is out to prove to the world, and by extension the Dodgers, that he’s capable of hitting against left-handed pitching.
- Lux knew that once the Dodgers signed KiHyeseongm that there was a chance the Dodgers would trade him.
- Lux doesn’t hold any ill-will toward the Dodgers for the decision to trade him, saying he’s happy to be with the Cincinnati Reds.
- When Gavin Lux walked off the field at Goodyear Ballpark on Monday, he carried three things with him.
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A bold red Cincinnati Reds jersey, a stark contrast to the familiar Dodger blue he had worn for years.
A confident smile, already feeling at home with his new team less than two months after an offseason trade altered his career path.
And, perhaps most importantly, a chip on his shoulder—the 27-year-old eager to prove his doubters, including some in Los Angeles, wrong and show what he can do on the big stage.
“You always have that chip on your shoulder,” Lux said. A former first-round pick and top prospect, he spent six seasons with the Dodgers, winning World Series titles in 2020 and 2024 before being traded for outfield prospect Mike Sirota and a draft pick.
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“I think you always want to prove you can handle the left side of the infield, hit lefties—whatever that chip is,” he continued. “Every player has something to prove. For me, that’s one of them.”
Indeed, the Dodgers’ reluctance to give Lux consistent playing time at multiple positions or opportunities against left-handed pitching contributed to their decision to send him to Cincinnati in early January—just days after signing Korean utility man Hyeseong Kim, which made Lux expendable.
“After that signing, you start thinking, ‘Oh, maybe there’s a chance I could get traded,’” Lux said Monday after facing the Dodgers for the first time in the Reds’ 8-1 spring training victory.
“You don’t really expect it after being in one place for so long, but at the same time, it’s a business. They have to do what’s best for them. And honestly, I think they did me a favor by sending me somewhere with a winning mentality … somewhere they believe I can contribute.”
When Lux debuted in the majors in 2019, he was expected to be a key part of the Dodgers’ future, potentially their long-term shortstop. A standout in the minor leagues, he was considered one of baseball’s top young talents. However, he never quite secured a consistent role in the lineup.
In 2020, he played just 19 games, struggling with a .175 batting average while spending much of the shortened season at the team’s alternate training site.
In 2021, he improved to a .242 average but had defensive struggles, posting below-average numbers at shortstop while filling in for an injured Corey Seager. He later experimented at third base, where he committed two errors in his only appearance, and in the outfield, where an ill-fated collision left Cody Bellinger with fractured ribs.
His best season came in 2022, when he hit .276 with a .400 slugging percentage and a .745 OPS while playing primarily at second base.
However, when the Dodgers tried to transition him back to shortstop in 2023, he tore his right knee ligament in spring training, sidelining him for the entire season. Then, in the following spring, recurring throwing issues led the Dodgers to move him back to second base, shifting Mookie Betts to shortstop just weeks before Opening Day.
Although Lux rebounded from a slow start at the plate with a scorching second half—hitting .304 with a .899 OPS and seven home runs after the All-Star break—he was never given an everyday role, receiving just 50 plate appearances against left-handed pitchers and hitting only .152 in those matchups.
