No team can claim to be more in "win-now" mode than the Dodgers. Sure, there are others right there with them, like the Yankees and Astros, but these Dodgers have been in World Series-or-bust mode for quite a while. They haven't missed the playoffs since 2012, and yet they haven't won the pennant since 2020. The only World Series title in there was the oddball 2020 one and, most importantly, the Dodgers spent a veritable truckload of cash last offseason to land the likes of Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and Teoscar Hernández in both free agency and trades.
All this is to say that the Dodgers sitting in first place right now doesn't mean what it might for a few other first-place teams. This isn't about making moves in order to make the playoffs. For the Dodgers, it's more of a shoulder shrug and, "yeah, so what?" Their real season is in October. At this point, it's fair to say they operate with the deepest pockets in baseball and they still have a good and deep farm system, which means they are able to make big splashes in front of the trade deadline.
Here's what you need to know about the Dodgers and their trade deadline situation.
Needs
When Mookie Betts went down, Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said recent injuries to the team didn't change how they'd operate in front of the trade deadline. Again, they're very likely going to win the division and they are only worried about the playoffs.
The injury situation in the starting rotation might be at the point where they must address it, however.
The Dodgers still have a possible playoff rotation in aces with Yamamoto, Glasnow, Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler. All four are on the injured list right now, however, along with Tony Gonsolin. Dustin May is out for the season and so is Emmet Sheehan. Bobby Miller had to be optioned back to the minors.
The current rotation: James Paxton, Landon Knack, Gavin Stone and Justin Wrobleski. Pitching prospect River Ryan is coming soon.
Glasnow is expected to start Wednesday with Kershaw slated to make his 2024 debut on Thursday, but that doesn't remove the question marks. The former will go over his career high in innings very soon and the latter has been plagued by injury in recent years.
The Dodgers are also in an interesting position in that they might not necessarily be looking for rentals, which is usually the case when teams are covering up for injuries. Buehler and Paxton are free agents after the season while Kershaw has a player option and could decide to retire (yes, we've been saying that for several years). Ohtani should be ready to join the rotation next season, but with the season Miller is having, it seems like the other sure things in the rotation for 2025 are Ohtani, Glasnow and Yamamoto (unless his injury lingers into 2025). Sure, Gonsolin, May, Kershaw and Miller could all be in the mix, but there are enough questions that Andrew Friedman and company might decide grabbing a player with multiple years of control here is worth the steep price in prospects.
As for other needs:
- Everyone could use bullpen depth and the Dodgers aren't an exception, but once they begin to get their starters back, they can kick guys back to the bullpen and that should work itself out on its own.
- Lineup depth is a concern as well, but the returns from injury of Betts, Max Muncy and Jason Heyward help alleviate some of those concerns.
That is to say, my hunch is the Dodgers mostly worry about starting pitching.
Possible trade targets
Basically, pretty much any starting pitcher available should get a look from the Dodgers. In fact, given who they are and the resources they have, both financially and in prospects, they'll start at the top of the market.
I know I said they'll mostly worry about starting pitching, but if Mason Miller becomes available, the Dodgers will be among the teams calling and they'll have the ability to outbid most teams. Why not add a dynamic weapon to the back of the bullpen if you can?
The All-Star lefty is one of the AL Cy Young frontrunners, but he's only under team control through 2026 and if the Tigers start selling, he'd be their most valuable commodity. The two years and two months of control would be attractive to the Dodgers, even with what could be a full rotation next year, as he's an upgrade over several arms they have in house.
Very similar to Skubal in that Crochet is left-handed, an All-Star having a breakout season and is under team control through 2026. Perhaps a bit more of a bonus on Crochet is he's 25 while Skubal is 27. He's more of a sure thing to be traded than Skubal, too, since the Tigers could argue they'll be ready to contend next season and the White Sox absolutely cannot.
Flaherty is still only 28 years old and we've been through plenty on the roller coaster that is his career. The Cy Young candidate in 2019 took a step back in 2020 and then dealt with injuries and major control problems for years. There have been plenty of flashes of being an ace, but then he'll revert back to being unusable. This season, the 127 strikeouts and 17 walks in 100 2/3 innings are highly encouraging. He's a free agent after the year, too, so he could come relatively cheap.
Fedde had a career 5.41 ERA through 2022, but then he pitched in Korea last season and came back a changed man. He's been excellent all season for the White Sox and can toss plenty of quality innings. The Dodgers sure could use a reliable innings-eater while they sort through all their injuries. He's on a two-year deal through 2025, but it's only for $15 million and that is pocket change for the Dodgers.
The former Dodgers All-Star is in the second year of a three-year, $39 million deal with the Angels. He was awful last season, but is back to All-Star form this year and is racking up the innings. There's familiarity here, so a reunion would make sense if the price is right.
The Rays have started the selling process and Eflin is in the second year of a three-year, $40 million deal. He's taken a step back from last season, when he finished sixth in AL Cy Young voting, but there's ability in there and he's already over 100 innings. Again, the Dodgers need the arms to eat innings right now. They can figure everything else out later.
Pretty much the entire Blue Jays pitching staff
Assuming the Jays realize they are cooked for this season and the roster needs a shakeup, they'll likely start selling. Lefty Yusei Kikuchi would be the rental, as he hits free agency after the season. Righty Chris Bassitt is signed through 2025. High-priced right-hander Kevin Gausman is signed through 2026 and is having a very inconsistent season following an injury in spring training. He's also got the big upside, as he finished third in Cy Young voting last season. Might the Dodgers swing for any of these?
Trade chips
It's incredibly difficult these days to land on specific names with which teams are willing to part in trade talks. Front offices keep everything way too close to the proverbial vest. We have seen pitcher Edgardo Henriquez's name out there, though. The 6-foot-4, 22-year-old right-hander has thrown very well across three levels (Class A, High-A, Double-A) this season and is carrying a monster strikeout rate. He isn't ready to help the 2024 Dodgers and they have plenty of time to figure out the future, so he'd make sense in a deal for the present.
I wonder about the catching prospects. All-Star backstop Will Smith signed a 10-year extension in the offseason, so they only need to look for a backup for Smith in the next several years. Diego Cartaya is a highly-ranked prospect now with Triple-A Oklahoma City. A deal for someone like Skubal or Crochet could have him as the centerpiece. Dalton Rushing could be in the same boat. He's catching for Double-A Tulsa this season and is a high-OBP guy with power.
There's a chance the Dodgers would look to deal pitching for pitching. Remember, they traded Ross Stripling two years after he was an All-Star. Could they have soured on Miller so quickly and deal him? It's possible. Would Kyle Hurt be available?
