The Los Angeles Dodgers retained most of their core from the roster that won the 2024 World Series, but notably did not re-sign Walker Buehler in free agency and traded Gavin Lux to the Cincinnati Reds at the beginning of the year.
It meant a new opportunity for Lux, who was drafted by the Dodgers in the first round in 2016 and became the organization’s top prospect en route to making his MLB debut in 2019. But Lux was without a clear spot on the team moving forward, particularly after the Dodgers signed Hyeseong Kim to further bolster their infield depth.
The trade was an emotional period for Lux, but he reflects fondly on his career with the Dodgers. As for winning the World Series last year, Lux told David Vassegh of AM 570 L.A. Sports it’s a lifetime highlight and he was especially proud to give the fans an opportunity to celebrate:
“It’s awesome. Those are some of the best fans in any sport in the world. However small or big your role is, I think they appreciate winning baseball. They want to win just as bad as we did. I don’t think they got that full feel during the COVID season without a parade and full season, so it was pretty cool to be able to give that to them. To see how happy the city was, the parade and all that stuff is something I’ll definitely cherish forever.”
Lux endured an inconsistent 2024 season that included enjoying productive months of July and August. There was some regression in September and Lux suffered a right hip flexor injury during the National League Championship Series that impacted his showing in October.
His final contribution to the Dodgers nevertheless was a game-tying sacrifice fly in the eighth inning of Game 5 of the World Series. The Dodgers scored the go-ahead run soon after and went on to win the eighth World Series title in franchise history.
Gavin Lux waiting for Dodgers World Series ring
This week marked the first time the Dodgers played against Lux as a member of the Reds, but he was not yet presented with his 2024 World Series ring.
Lux instead is going to receive the hardware when the Reds visit Dodger Stadium in late August to make for another celebratory moment with fans.
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