Who is Keston Hiura? A question some Dodgers fans may ask, wondering why his name has not surfaced earlier during the Hot Stove Chatter; neither as a free agent nor a trade target. The 24-year old, right hand hitting Hiura has been the Milwaukee Brewers second baseman since mid-season 2019, when he burst onto the MLB scene, slashing .303/.368/.570/.938 with a 140 wRC+. Offensively, he was behind only Arizona Diamondbacks Ketel Marte for second basemen with 300+ plate appearances.

Why would the Brewers consider trading the young second baseman? While Hiura is considered by scouts to be a plus hitter with plus power, his second base defense is horrible. In 2019, the only regular MLB second baseman with worse defense was the Kansas City Royals Whit Merrifield, who is now a full-time centerfielder.

His 2020 stats took a nosedive from his rookie season, slashing .212/.297/.410/.707 with a 87 wRC+, his strikeouts increased to almost 35%, and his defense was even worse.

The Brewers just signed free-agent second baseman Kolten Wong (a two-time Gold Glove winner for the St. Louis Cardinals) for the next two seasons, with an option for a third year.

Hiura has had an injured elbow since college (University of California Irvine Anteaters) and could be facing Tommy John surgery at some point. There is speculation that the Brewers may be planning to move him to first base.

Why would the Dodgers be interested in acquiring Hiura? After all, the team is loaded with second basemen (Gavin Lux, Max Muncy, and Chris Taylor, with Michael Busch making huge strides toward a major league job). Here are a few possible reasons why:

• Right after the 2020 World Series, Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman said that the team wanted to add an additional right-handed bat for the roster.
• Baseball America pre-draft scouting report (2017): “(Hiura) is one of the top college bats available… having few peers in college… he was one of Team USA’s top hitters while playing DH [that] summer, then ranked among national leaders in batting, walks, on-base and slugging percentage… At 5-foot-11, 190 pounds, Hiura has a compact swing path, strength, and plus bat speed. Combine that with a feel for the barrel and excellent strike-zone judgment, and Hiura was producing as much hard contact as any hitter in the country.”
• The team is still looking for another right-handed hitter in addition to Justin Turner or his replacement.
• Of the 12-errors credited to Hiura in his ML experience (less than one full season), 10 have been throwing errors.
• Statistically, Muncy’s best defensive position is second base, so moving Hiura to first base and shifting Muncy to second would improve the defense.
• Taylor would then be available for a super-utility role, filling in at second, third, short, and all three outfield positions as needed.

What about Lux and Busch? Lux would share left field with AJ Pollock in 2021, becoming the regular left fielder in 2022. If Busch is ready to play second base in 2022, the Dodgers move Muncy to third base, or more likely a full-time DH for his last season with the team (the team has an option for 2023).

Who would the Dodgers have to trade to acquire Hiura? Just a SWAG (perhaps just a WAG) is Edwin Rios. Although Hiura is projected to hit for a better average, both players have similar scouting profiles, although Rios home runs will travel further. The Dodgers might have to add a mid-level prospect like infielder Devin Mann or pitcher Mitchell White in a trade package, but the two teams seem to work well together in trades.

There may be too many obstacles for a trade to work out, primarily the physical condition of Hiura’s throwing elbow. But adding the young second/first baseman would fill the Dodgers need for an additional right-handed hitter. Only 10-days until the team is scheduled to open Spring Training at Camelback Ranch, and the roster is still not yet complete.

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