Los Angeles Dodgers rumors leading up to the MLB trade deadline have all pointed toward the club’s interest in starting pitching. With Max Muncy and Mookie Betts on the injured list, pitching isn’t all Los Angeles is looking for this summer.
The Dodgers lineup, even without Betts and Muncy, has been very productive this season. Shohei Ohtani is leading the MLB MVP race and Los Angeles is receiving excellent production from Teoscar Hernandez, Freddie Freeman and Will Smith.
- Los Angeles Dodgers lineup stats: .254 batting average (6th in MLB), .333 OBP (1st in MLB), .434 SLG (2nd in MLB), 467 runs scored (2nd in MLB)
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However, there’s still plenty of room for improvement. Even before Betts landed on the injured list, Los Angeles was in the market for a shortstop. The Dodgers front office has also been evaluating outfielders on the trade market, with two high-end options on their radar.
According to Jack Harris of The Los Angeles Times, the Dodgers are interested in both Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr and Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Randy Arozarena.
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- Luis Robert stats: /221/.294/.487, .781 OPS, 11 home runs, 22 RBI, 8 steals in 154 at-bats
Robert has missed significant time this season due to injury and he’s not replicating his success (.857 OPS) from his All-Star campaign in 2023. However, Chicago’s center fielder is still hitting for significant power (.487 SLG) and he’s reached base more consistently in the weeks since coming off the injured list.
- Randy Arozarena stats: .204/.310/.367, .677 OPS, 12 home runs, 13 steals
Arozarena is the least likely of the two to be dealt considering the Rays intend to compete in 2025. However, Tampa Bay does like offloading veteran players before they become more expensive and Arozarena will be making more than $10 million next season via arbitration.
Landing either player would cost a few of the Dodgers top prospects but it would add another All-Star bat to the lineup. For now, though, starting pitching and relievers appear to be the team’s top targets followed by an outfielder who can strengthen the Dodgers lineup.
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