About 18 months after trade talks between the Dodgers and Twins disintegrated, the two clubs have come to an agreement that sends second baseman Brian Dozier to Los Angeles Tuesday. Heading back to Minnesota in the deal is second baseman Logan Forsythe, left-handed pitcher Devin Smeltzer and outfielder Luke Raley. There will be no cash exchanged in the deal according to reports. Dozier is in the final year of a four year, $20 million deal, while Forsythe was on the end of his club option year at $9 million. This saves the Dodgers money since Dozier counts for $5 million against the tax threshold they’re trying to stay under, while Forsythe counts for the full contract amount. Dozier is hitting .224/.305/.402 with 16 home runs in 2018 and has been one of the premier power-hitting second baseman over the last several years. Since the start of 2014, Dozier has hit 143 dingers in 724 games, 40 more than anyone at the position over that time. Typically a second half hitter, Dozier has hit 49 of his 76 homers after the All-Star break between 2016 and 2017, with an OPS 53 points higher over his career. One of the Dodgers biggest holes this season has been second base when it comes to hitting lefties. Forsythe was supposed to be the answer to that when they acquired him from the Rays before the 2017 season. The 31-year-old has struggled in 2018, hitting .176 (15-for-85) with just four extra-base hits and 21 strikeouts against left-handers. Dozier on the other hand, is hitting .292/.379/.560 with 24 homers against lefties since the start of the 2016 season. If that’s what Dozier is bringing to the lineup, that’s a significant upgrade for Los Angeles. Overall, Forsythe was hitting .207 this season and hit .218/.325/.314 in 189 games for the Dodgers over the past two seasons. As for the minor leaguers in the deal, Smeltzer is a 22-year-old left-hander that was drafted in the fifth round in 2016. In 23 appearances (14 starts) at Double-A Tulsa, Smeltzer is 5-5 with a 4.73 ERA. Raley, also with Tulsa, is a 23-year-old outfielder that was taken in the same 2016 draft in the seventh round. In 93 games this season, Raley hit .275/.345/.477 with 39 extra-base hits, including 17 homers. When our David Hood released his midseason prospect list recently, Raley was ranked 22nd, while Smeltzer didn’t make the list.<doc-sep>NL West-leading Dodgers get Dozier from Twins for Forsythe Los Angeles Dodgers' Brian Dozier watches from the dugout during the ninth inning of the team's baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday, July 31, 2018, in Los Angeles. Dozier was acquired in a Tuesday trade with the Minnesota Twins. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers made another addition to their infield, acquiring power-hitting second baseman Brian Dozier from the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday for infielder Logan Forsythe and two minor leaguers shortly before the trade deadline. Dozier departed Target Field soon after the deal was done in the afternoon, aiming to take advantage of the two-hour time zone difference and was on the Dodgers' bench by the eighth inning of a quick 2-hour, 17-minute game. Dozier was available to play but did not see action in the Dodgers' 1-0 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. ''It came down to the last minute and I knew something was probably brewing up from just hearsay, obviously,'' Dozier said. ''But when I found out it was the Dodgers, it was very exciting.'' The Dodgers, who went all in by acquiring Baltimore shortstop Manny Machado during the All-Star break for five prospects, had a need for an established right-handed hitter. Their lineup has been in flux, with Arizona and Colorado right on their heels. ''Knowing as you get later in the season, and particularly in September when teams can start game planning and stacking their rotation a certain way, they think you have a weakness against a certain side,'' Dodgers general manager Farhan Zaidi said. ''To bring in a right-handed bat that has success against lefties, we think, gives our lineup and our overall roster really good balance.'' Dozier was the fifth player traded by the Twins in the last five days. Signaling the front office's shift in focus to the future amid a disappointing season, Dozier followed starting pitcher Lance Lynn, relief pitchers Zach Duke and Ryan Pressly and infielder Eduardo Escobar out the door. The Twins received a total of 12 players in return, with Forsythe the only current major leaguer. For Dozier, they received outfielder Luke Raley and left-handed pitcher Devin Smeltzer. Story continues ''We ultimately made some difficult decisions, some hard choices, to trade away players that we think would help us in the next few months for a great deal of talent that would help us in the future,'' chief baseball officer Derek Falvey said. ''I feel good about that.'' The 23-year-old Raley was hitting .275 with 17 home runs and 53 RBIs at Double-A. The 22-year-old Smeltzer was 5-5 with a 4.73 ERA at Double-A. Though the 31-year-old Dozier's production has dropped off this year, he has 161 home runs in six seasons as a regular in the lineup. In 2016, Dozier went deep 42 times, becoming only the fourth player in major league history to hit 40 or more home runs while playing second base. Dozier is batting .224 with 16 home runs and 52 RBIs this season, with a .708 on-base-plus-slugging percentage that's his lowest since he was a rookie in 2012. ''It's disappointing on a lot of levels, but I understand it's a business, and I don't like to say that, but it really is when things like this happen,'' said first baseman Joe Mauer, who said he was not approached about waiving his no-trade clause. Dozier, who is making $9 million this year, will be a free agent in the fall. He was drafted in the eighth round by the Twins in 2009. ''Brian's brand here in Minnesota, I don't know if you can get much better than that,'' Twins manager Paul Molitor said. ''Everything that he's done for the community and the way that he's played the game, he's set a great example for our young guys throughout, and you're going to miss a guy like that.'' After the Twins lost a team-record 103 games in 2016, the Dodgers pursued Dozier that winter but settled for Forsythe in a trade with Tampa Bay instead. The Twins went on to make the playoffs, and the Dodgers were the National League champions. ''It has been going on for a couple of years,'' Dozier said about the trade. ''I remember back in 2016 in the offseason all the talks and it ended up falling through. So I had heard a lot of good things about (president of baseball operations) Andrew (Friedman).'' Forsythe, though, has not panned out in Los Angeles. The 31-year-old, who has played second base, third base and first base this season and took some turns at shortstop and left field in 2017, hit .218 with just eight home runs, 49 RBIs and a .639 on-base-plus-slugging percentage in 189 games with the Dodgers. Forsythe will also be a free agent in the fall. Dozier, who has never been on the disabled list and averaged 153 games played over the past five seasons, likely won't be an everyday player with the Dodgers. Enrique Hernandez, Max Muncy and Chase Utley have also played second base, and third baseman Justin Turner is due back from injury soon to give Roberts another player who'll figure in down the stretch. ''We have a lot of good players that I feel that we still need to keep them involved, but to have him on our roster certainly makes us better,'' manager Dave Roberts said, adding: ''Competition is always a good thing, but I think we do a pretty good job of keeping guys involved.'' --- AP Sports Writer Dave Campbell in Minneapolis contributed to this report. --- More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball<doc-sep>The Dodgers are acquiring second baseman Brian Dozier from the Twins in exchange for second baseman Logan Forsythe and prospects Luke Raley and Devin Smeltzer, as The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Dan Hayes and the New York Post’s Joel Sherman first reported on Tuesday afternoon: #Dodgers close to acquiring Brian Dozier from #MNTwins, sources tell me and @DanHayesMLB. — Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 31, 2018 #Twins are getting forsythe, Smeltzer and Raley for Dozier — Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) July 31, 2018 The 31-year-old Dozier has posted a .224/.305/.402 slash line with 16 homers this season, and he’s been less-than-stellar defensively, posting -6 defensive runs saved. It’s not abundantly clear how he fits into the Dodgers’ plans — he’ll be the second baseman for the next few days with Max Muncy — arguably their first-half MVP — at first base and Cody Bellinger in center field. But after Justin Turner returns from the DL, Manny Machado slides back over to shortstop, and Chris Taylor goes back to center field, it’s possible that Muncy, who is 2 for his last 26 and has a .196/.292/.446 slash line over his last 15 games, may end up as a versatile bench piece going forward. Forsythe exiting the fray clears some room on Los Angeles’ roster, but manager Dave Roberts will have to strike a balancing act in order to get the most out of infielders Justin Turner (who is currently on the DL), Manny Machado, Chase Utley, Chris Taylor, Kiké Hernandez, Dozier, and Muncy going forward. Like Machado, he’s a free agent at the end of the season, so the Dodgers are clearly in “win now” mode with their recent trade activity. Forsythe, 31, was a postseason hero last year, but he has struggled mightily in 2018, posting a .207/.270/.290 line with two homers over 211 plate appearances. His main purpose in the trade is seemingly to rid the Dodgers of the remainder of his $9 million salary. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Twins, who are obviously building with an eye toward the future at this point, designate him for assignment immediately. Raley, 23, is an outfielder/first baseman who was ranked as the Dodgers’ No. 19 prospect by MLB Pipeline. He’s posted an impressive .275/.345/.477 slash line with 17 homers at Double-A Tulsa this season, though he has struck out 175 times and walked just 24 in 435 plate appearances. He’s the second upper-minors slugging first baseman that the Twins have acquired in the last two days, as they acquired Tyler Austin from the Yankees in yesterday’s Lance Lynn deal. Smeltzer, a 22-year-old left-hander, was the Dodgers’ fifth-round pick in 2016 and was not ranked as a top-30 prospect in Los Angeles’ system by MLB Pipeline. Over 23 appearances (14 starts) at Tulsa this year, he has a 4.73 ERA and 1.35 WHIP with an underwhelming 67 strikeouts and 19 walks through 83.2 innings.<doc-sep>Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports After falling out of playoff contention, the Minnesota Twins have reportedly traded star second baseman Brian Dozier to the Los Angeles Dodgers, according to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick. According to Jon Heyman of Fancred, Los Angeles will send utility man Logan Forsythe, outfielder Luke Raley and left-hander Devin Smeltzer to Minnesota. The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and Dan Hayes first reported a deal was close. The Twins were a surprise playoff team last season after winning just 59 games in 2016. They started this season with high expectations because of that postseason appearance and signing starting pitcher Lance Lynn and closer Addison Reed to shore up the pitching staff. Dozier has been a mainstay for the Twins since his MLB debut in 2012. The 31-year-old made the All-Star team in 2015 and set an AL record in 2016 by hitting 40 of his 42 homers while playing second base. From 2014 to 2017, Dozier ranked second among all second basemen with 18.8 FanGraphs wins above replacement. His offense has taken a step back this season with a .224/.305/.402 slash line for a Twins team that has disappointed with a 49-56 after making the postseason last year. With Dozier being in the final year of his contract, the Twins were forced to decide if they wanted to play out this season before trying to re-sign him or add long-term assets they can build around in the future. Video Play Button Videos you might like Dozier is not an old man and is still in the prime of his career. He has hit all over the lineup in the past, primarily leading off for the Twins, so he gives Dodgers manager Dave Roberts more versatility in a lineup that also includes the newly acquired Manny Machado and Cody Bellinger. The Dodgers got off to a slow start this season, so they needed to do something if they hoped to get back to the World Series. With Dozier's potent bat in their lineup, they have the depth to hold off the Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies and San Francisco Giants in the National League West.<doc-sep>
If one team has improved their lineup the most in the last two weeks, its been the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers, within an hour before the deadline, made the move to acquire Minnesota Twins second baseman Brian Dozier. Brian Dozier has been traded to the #Dodgers. Deal is done. @Ken_Rosenthal reported close. — Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) July 31, 2018 The Dodgers, who made the headlining move of the summer by acquiring Baltimore Orioles All-Star shortstop Manny Machado two weeks ago, have now bolstered their middle infield even further by acquiring Dozier. Dozier, like Machado, is an impending free-agent. At the age of 31, Dozier has struggled in 2018, hitting just .224. However, Dozier is a career 24.1 WAR hitter, and still has 16 home runs on the season. Dozier’s power is his top tool, as the second baseman hit 42 home runs in 2016, and 34 home runs in 2017. Dozier now joins Machado, Justin Turner and Cody Bellinger in what could be the best infield in all of baseball. After falling just short last season, it looks like the Dodgers are going all-in for the World Series this season. In return, the Twins acquire two prospects and Logan Forsythe, the clear replacement at second base for Dozier. Forsythe has been underwhelming in 2018, hitting just .207 in the final season of his three-year deal signed in 2016. Forsythe was likely thrown in to keep the Dodgers under the luxury tax, as the 31-year old was owed over $6 million in 2018. In addition to Forsythe, the Twins bring back two prospects. Luke Raley: The headlining prospect in the deal, the Twins acquire the Dodgers 19th-ranked prospect in Luke Raley. Raley, a 23-year old first-baseman/outfielder at the Double-A level, has had a solid 2018 season, hitting .275 with 17 home runs. He was originally a seventh round pick in 2016 from Lake Erie College. The power is real but he’s got some work to do with the strike zone, at least if his 24/105 BB/K ratio is any indication. John did not have Raley ranked among the Dodgers Top-20 prospects back in February, but did have him ranked among the C+ prospects. A pure power hitter and good defender, Raley projects as the potential Joe Mauer replacement a few years down the line at first base, but with an above-average arm, Raley could fit in right field as soon as 2019. Devin Smeltzer: The second and final prospect heading to Minnesota in the deal, Devin Smeltzer projects as a future bullpen piece for the Twins. A 22-year old lefty, Smeltzer has had a rough season in Double-A, recording a 4.73 ERA in 23 appearances, with 14 starts. Smeltzer’s low-strikeout rate (67 strikeouts in 83.2 innings) and opponents batting average of .281 likely pushed him out of a long-term starting role. He was originally a fifth round pick in 2016 from San Jacinto Junior College. John also didn't have Smeltzer ranked among the Dodgers Top-20 prospects back in February, but did have him ranked alongside Raley with the C+-grade prospects. Smeltzer is still young and is close to being major league-ready, and could make an impact in the Twins bullpen by 2019.