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Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Who won the Gavin Lux trade? Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Dodgers might find out soon
Have the Cincinnati Reds won the Gavin Lux trade yet? The short answer is that it depends on how University of Arkansas outfielder Charles Davalan develops over the next few years. Davalan is the undersized, Canadian-born lefty hitter the Los Angeles Dodgers drafted 42nd overall with the competitive-balance pick the Reds traded (with a Class A outfielder) for Lux in January. As far as the Reds are concerned, the answer should come in the next couple of months when they see the full-season impact Lux has on their playoff ambitions. For now, with the Dodgers in town this week for the Reds' first look at the defending champs, the Reds like the impact of the versatile, lefty-hitting Lux on a team that rode a 10-4 heater into the big series at Great American Ball Park — Lux going 11-for-31 (.355) with a .375 on-base percentage over his last nine games during that stretch. 'He's a great kid. He's done a really good job. And we're thrilled he's here,' Reds manager Terry Francona said. 'That's kind of an understatement.' The Dodgers' former first-round draft pick was part of Reds offseason that emphasized bringing in veterans familiar with October baseball, including catcher Jose Trevino in a trade from the Yankees and left-fielder Austin Hays as a free agent. Lux wasn't expected to be Juan Soto. Or even the kind of additions Nick Castellanos or Jeimer Candelario were touted to be when the Reds signed them in recent years. He's mostly a platoon starter who hits right-handers especially well. But he knows winning. And he knows hitting. And former Dodgers teammates know that well. 'Luxy was always a super talented player,' Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy said. 'As we've seen with multiple people, sometimes a change of scenery is all that you need. 'Playing in L.A. is not easy,' Muncy added. 'There's a lot of expectations, a lot of pressure. Sometimes you can lost in that a little bit, and I don't know if that's what happened to Luxy or not. But it's one of those things where, for me, you always knew what kind of player he could be.' Not that Lux was especially lost in his career. Or that he's necessarily found now in any profound way. Or even that he could benefit from a change of scenery. 'I have no clue for me it it's helped or it hasn't,' Lux said. 'All I know is I feel really comfortable with these guys in this clubhouse and the staff. It's been fun to be part of.' Lux, who has two World Series rings with the Dodgers, was made available a year after missing all of 2023 because of a knee injury when the Dodgers closed a deal with South Korean free agent second baseman Hyeseong Kim ($12.5 million, three years) a few days before sending Lux to the Reds. 'He never quite reached that potential with us, but it doesn't mean that anyone in here gave up on him,' Muncy said. 'Everyone in here knew that he could be a special player.' As the Reds opened the Dodgers series with Lux batting fifth as the DH, the Kenosha, Wisconsin, native was on pace for career highs in games, hits and walks, with a .271 average within five points of a career high and a .355 on-base percentage that would be a career-high if he sustains it. 'Gavin has the hit tool. He's always had it,' Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. 'I just feel that the change of scenery was going to free him up and allow him to get to another level. It's nice when it's a win-win for both organizations, and I couldn't be more excited to see the success he's having. 'We're really excited about the guys that we acquired, and I'm happy he's playing for Tito and he's thriving.' Change of scenery again? 'Obviously, the big market is a pressure cooker at times,' Lux said. 'As a younger guy it took me awhile to not put so much pressure oh myself, where it felt like at times when I was younger, even at times last year coming off the injury, it was like if I don't perform I'm not going to play.' The change to a new team in a different market hasn't changed any of the drive or effort that showed up in a hot second half last year after he regained confidence in his surgically repaired knee. But maybe something as simple as a fresh start has provided a benefit, especially in a place with more potential opportunities to contribute. 'Obviously, it's a little bit different,' Lux said. 'But I think that I've just learned over the years how I operate and that when I'm playing free without worry and just enjoying and having fun and playing baseball – as cliché as that sounds – that's when I'm at my best. 'I think that self-awareness has helped me a lot,' he said. 'I can catch myself now when I start to stress over a couple of at-bats. And I don't go down that roller coaster of emotions. I think it just took me a while to learn that. But the environment is definitely part of that, too.' If there's any question about whether Lux has hard feelings toward the team that traded him after winning a World Series last year, that question fades quickly talking to members of the mutual admiration club of Lux and guys in the Dodgers clubhouse. 'I personally had a great relationship with Gavin,' said Dodgers coach Dino Ebel, who worked with Lux on the infield in recent years and still texts with him – and who's known as 'Uncle Dino' to Lux. 'We all believed he could hit. We believe it's in there. That's why he was our No. 1 pick. I'm glad it's starting to happen.' Said Lux: 'I've got nothing but love for everyone over there.' Lux, 27, is in his professional athletic prime with another year of club control for the Reds. Wherever this year goes for him and the Reds – or next year for that matter – about the only thing that's clear is the shared vision. 'I told Tito the first day of spring: 'I don't care where you play me. Just throw me out there, and I'll try to find a way to get it down and help the team win.' That's really all I care about.' This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Gavin Lux trade: Cincinnati Reds, LA Dodgers winners, losers
CTV News
14-07-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
Baseball player, born in Waterloo, picked in first round of MLB draft
Charles Davalan, who was born in Waterloo, Ont. but grew up in Montreal, Que., was selected Sunday in the first round of the Major League Baseball draft. The 21-year-old outfielder was picked 41st overall by the L. A. Dodgers. Davalan moved to Florida for his senior year of high school and then headed to Florida Gulf Coast University. He then switched to the University of Arkansas where he played for the Razorbacks. According to the MLB, Davalan hit .346 with a .994 OPS, had 14 home runs and 60 RBIs with the Razorbacks, and made it to the semifinals of the College World Series. Davalan only struck out 27 times in his 317 appearances at the plate. His fellow Razorbacks teammates, Zach Root, was also picked up by the Dodgers. Davalan was ranked the 54th draft prospect ahead of Sunday night's MLB selection.
New York Times
14-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Dodgers draft Arkansas prospects Zach Root, Charles Davalan in first round of 2025 MLB Draft
The future the Los Angeles Dodgers are envisioning with their first two picks in this year's MLB Draft played out in real time just less than a month ago, when their pick at No. 40, left-hander Zach Root, started on the mound and delivered five scoreless innings for the University of Arkansas. Their pick at No. 41, outfielder Charles Davalan, led off the game with a single as the Razorbacks knocked off UCLA to advance to the College World Series semifinals. Advertisement The Dodgers had to wait to make their first selection in the draft due to their spending against the competitive balance tax. But after leaning heavily into high school talents early in the last two drafts, they went not just with a pair of college players, but teammates, with consecutive choices. Their last time taking a college player with their first pick was Dalton Rushing in the second round in 2022, and their last time doing so in the first round was Bobby Miller in 2020. 'It was pretty special,' Root said of getting picked alongside his college teammate. 'I guess I'm going to have to live with him in a couple more years,' Davalan quipped. Root, a former East Carolina transfer, projects as a sturdy option whose revamped curveball and changeup figure to be a more integral part of his arsenal than his sinker profile suggests and who Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello raved about on the MLB Network broadcast for his pitch ability. 'I'm able to throw multiple pitches into the zone in any count, and that's a big part of keeping hitters off-balance, not falling into patterns where the hitter can guess what's coming,' Root said. 'So, just working to throw multiple pitches in the zone in any count, is the kind of pitcher I am, to keep the hitter off guard and really be tough to hit against.' With the 40th and 41st pick of the MLB Draft, the Los Angeles Dodgers select pitcher Zachary Root and outfielder Charles Davalan from the University of Arkansas. — Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) July 14, 2025 The 21-year-old left-hander transferred to the SEC powerhouse, he said, to revamp his body and work directly with pitching coach Matt Hobbs. Sharing a rotation with fellow first-rounder Gage Wood, Root made 19 starts, posting a 3.26 ERA in 99 1/3 innings while striking out 126 hitters. The Florida native said he grew up a Dodgers fan, idolizing Clayton Kershaw, and that the organization had expressed interest in him dating back to when he was eligible as a high schooler. Advertisement 'I've just been watching Dodger baseball ever since I can remember because of Kershaw,' Root said. Davalan's background is much more complex. Raised in Canada as a hockey player, the 21-year-old moved to Florida as a high school junior looking to keep his baseball career going during COVID restrictions. The bat-first outfielder — who has some brief experience at second base — still managed one Division I scholarship offer, but parlayed a strong freshman season at Florida Gulf Coast (.927 OPS in 276 plate appearances) into the ability to transfer to the SEC powerhouse. Given the school's bounty of resources and analytical power, he emphasized training to improve his bat speed, tweaked his bat path and swapped out his high leg kick for a toe tap to try to keep his swing, describing it as 'adaptable.' It resulted in a .346 batting average in his lone season with the Razorbacks, slugging 14 home runs and walking more often (35) than he struck out (27). Despite his willingness to push into modern technology – something that will surely continue with his new organization, Davalan put his game into simpler terms. 'I'm an old-school ball player,' Davalan said. 'I like to win. I like to play hard. So that's what I'm going to try to do. And I'm sure that knowing the organization, it's filled with players like that, so I'm super excited just to get to meet new people and just kind of compete with them. 'I feel I have a good balance just knowing myself, that I'm still a hard-nosed player and I'm an old-school player, but the game has changed, so you gotta adjust. If no, you're gonna get kind of eaten up alive. So you always gotta be ready to adjust.' Davalan's selection at No. 41 ties a bow on an offseason transaction the Dodgers hoped would turn an infidel surplus into a chance to restock their farm system – even with the penalties that their spending against the competitive balance tax would incur. Gavin Lux has produced essentially a league-average offensive output (100 OPS+) in his first season with the Cincinnati Reds after the Dodgers traded him in December for minor league outfielder Mike Sirota and the competitive balance round pick that wound up being Davalan. Advertisement Sirota has had a standout offensive season to date, with a 1.068 OPS in 270 plate appearances between Low A and High A. The added pick also gave the Dodgers some level of flexibility in their bonus pool. The combined slot value of those first two picks was around $4.83 million. The Dodgers chose college players with their other two selections through the draft's first three rounds on Sunday night, selecting Florida State right-hander Cam Leiter at No. 65 overall and Cincinnati outfielder Landyn Vidourek at No. 104. Leiter is the nephew of former big league pitchers Mark and Al Leiter, as well as the cousin of current major leaguers Jack and Mark Leiter Jr. He struck out 56 hitters in 35 innings in his lone season at the school after transferring from Central Florida, but didn't pitch at all in 2025. Vidourek produced a 1.010 OPS in his final year of school and produced strong exit velocities.
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
MLB draft: Dodgers select a pair of Arkansas standouts with their first picks
Arkansas pitcher Zach Root delivers during a game against Washington State on Feb. 14. Root was selected by the Dodgers in the first round of the MLB draft on Sunday. (Michael Woods / Associated Press) The Dodgers' first two picks in this year's MLB draft came consecutively at Nos. 40 and 41 overall. Turns out, their two selections came from the same school, as well, with the team taking left-handed pitcher Zach Root and contact-hitting outfielder Charles Davalan out of the University of Arkansas. Advertisement Root, a junior for the Razorbacks this year, went at No. 40. A transfer from East Carolina, he had a 3.62 earned-run average this season with 126 strikeouts in 99⅓ innings. Scouting reports lauded his versatile pitch mix, which includes a slider, curveball and changeup from a funky low arm-slot delivery. Read more: Dodgers cap uneven, yet ultimately successful first half with win over Giants Davalan, a sophomore who was draft-eligible, also transferred into Arkansas last year after one season at Florida Gulf Coast. He hit .346 for the Razorbacks with 14 home runs, 60 RBIs and more walks (35) than strikeouts (27). Both players were part of an Arkansas team that won 50 games and reached the College World Series. Advertisement Both figure to be key pieces of the Dodgers' future, as well. Though the Dodgers once again were boxed out of a high draft pick — picking outside the top 30 for the third time in the last four years because of competitive balance tax penalties — the team did acquire an extra selection in what is known as 'Competitive Balance Round A,' securing the No. 41 overall selection as part of the trade that sent Gavin Lux to the Cincinnati Reds. That meant, for the first time since 2019, the Dodgers made two top-50 selections. And when their selections were on the clock, they identified the pair of Southeastern Conference teammates. Advertisement Read more: Shaikin: Why it makes sense the Angels picked Tyler Bremner at No. 2 in MLB draft Root is a Fort Myers, Fla., native who was the No. 31-ranked recruit in the state coming out of high school, according to Perfect Game. After starting his college career at East Carolina, where he had a 9-5 record and 4.43 ERA in two seasons, he found immediate success upon joining Arkansas, earning first-team All-SEC honors and second- and third-team All-American nods. Though he grew up in Florida, Root said he was a childhood Dodgers fan — thanks in large part to another certain left-handed pitcher. "Growing up, my dad always made me watch [Clayton] Kershaw and learn to pitch like him,' Root said. 'So I've just been watching Dodger baseball ever since I can remember, because of Kershaw." Advertisement Davalan took a decidedly more circuitous route to the Dodgers. Arkansas batter Charles Davalan runs to first base during a game against Arkansas State on April 8. (Michael Woods / Associated Press) Originally a childhood hockey player from Quebec, Canada, Davalan moved to Florida when he was in high school during the COVID-19 pandemic, enrolling in a specialized high school that allowed him to spend much of his days training as a baseball player. 'With COVID, a lot got shut down in Canada,' Davalan said. 'So decided to go live in Florida, where the restrictions [weren't there] and you could play 12 months of the year.' From there, the undersized Davalan — who is listed at 5-foot-9 and 190 pounds — got one D-I offer from FGCU, impressed enough there to transfer to Arkansas, and then blossomed into 'one of the best hitters in the draft class, I think,' Root said of his teammate. 'Getting him at pick 41 is just a big steal for the Dodgers." Advertisement Davalan offered similar praise about Root, calling him 'kind of an old-school pitcher' who 'really filled the zones up good, but can still get his punchouts when he needs to get out of the jam.' 'Old-school' was also an adjective Davalan used to describe himself. Read more: Futures Game MVP Josue De Paula wants to be a Dodger 'for a very long time' 'I like to win. I like to play hard,' he said. 'So that's what I'm going to try to do. And I'm sure that knowing the organization, it's filled of players like that, so I'm super excited just to get to meet new people.' And, of course, be reacquainted with one from his recent past. Advertisement 'He's one of my best friends because of Arkansas,' Root said. 'He's a really great dude.' 'I guess I'm going to have to live with him in a couple more years,' Davalan joked. 'He's awesome.' Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
New York Post
19-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Arkansas' Charles Davalan in tears after season-ending blunder in College World Series
Charles Davalan couldn't hide his emotions after his brutal blunder helped doom Arkansas in its semifinal loss to LSU in the College World Series. His miscue allowed LSU to tie the game in the ninth inning Wednesday night in Omaha, Neb., when a trip to the College World Series championship was within touching distance for Arkansas. An emotional Davalan crouched on the field after the game ended with a blank expression before he was later seen with tears streaming down his face. 5 Charles Davalan reacts during the Arkansas-LSU game in the College World Series on June 18, 2025. X / @LSUbaseball A plethora of coaches and teammates consoled Davalan, a sophomore from Montreal, sharing long hugs and words of encouragement. Davalan looked disconsolate through it all. Arkansas led 5-3 with two outs and runners on first and second in the bottom of the ninth inning. 5 Charles Davalan commits a brutal blunder during the Arkansas-LSU game in the College World Series on June 18, 2025. X / @ESPN 5 Charles Davalan commits a brutal blunder during the Arkansas-LSU game in the College World Series on June 18, 2025. X / @ESPN LSU's Luis Hernandez hit a line drive to left field, and Davalan missed it. He dove unsuccessfully, and the ball ricocheted off his body. Two runs scored on the play to tie the game at 5-5. 'It was hit hard obviously, and it was hooking and sinking,' Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said of Davalan's mistake. 'It looked like Charles slipped taking off for it, and when he took off, he lost sight of it.' Jared Jones, the next batter, then hit a line drive off second baseman Cam Kozeal's glove to drive in the game-winning run. 5 An emotional Charles Davalan (R.) is consoled after the Arkansas-LSU game in the College World Series on June 18, 2025. X / @BaseballQuotes1 5 An emotional Charles Davalan (R.) is consoled after the Arkansas-LSU game in the College World Series on June 18, 2025. X / @BaseballQuotes1 LSU will face Coastal Carolina in the best-of-three championship series, looking to win its second title in three years. Davalan recorded a .352./.440/.572 slash line this year with 14 homers, 60 RBIs and a 1.012 OPS. He was named to the All-SEC First Team. But his season ended in heartbreak.
