The Los Angeles Dodgers are being constantly reminded this postseason of a player they never should have traded away.
Now, all the Dodgers can do on the West Coast is sit back and watch Houston Astros superstar Yordan Álvarez terrorize the opposition and be a monumental difference-maker.
Álvarez, who already has a shining moment in the American League Division Series against the Seattle Mariners when he hit a walk-off, three-run home run in Game 1, was at it again Thursday. The left-handed slugger belted a two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth to turn a deficit for the Astros into a one-run lead. Álvarez made some insane history with the blast as well by becoming the first player in Major League Baseball postseason history with multiple homers coming in the sixth inning or later with his team trailing, per ESPN Stats and Info.
Why might the Dodgers care about this as they're locked in a 1-1 series with the San Diego Padres?
Well, it just so happens that Álvarez is a former Dodgers prospect Los Angeles traded away in August of 2016. The return for the Dodgers in the deal doesn't come close to matching what they gave away.
Los Angeles acquired relief pitcher Josh Fields, who went 8-2 out of the bullpen with a 2.61 ERA over two-plus seasons with the Dodgers. While those are more than serviceable numbers, the Dodgers would much rather have Álvarez, who won Rookie of the Year honors in 2019 and earned his first AL All-Star nod this season.
Fields, a first-round pick in the 2008 draft by the Seattle Mariners, hasn't pitched in the majors since 2018, signaling his career is over. Meanwhile, Álvarez is owning the playoffs and has Houston one win away from advancing to its sixth straight AL Championship Series.
While the Dodgers can't be too concerned they gave up Álvarez with the abundance of talent on their roster, it sure would be quite the sight for Álvarez to step into the batter's box at Dodger Stadium in the World Series and show them up close what exactly they missed out on.
