Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman entered the 2025 season with a bold declaration: “My goal is to not buy in July. … My goal is to do everything we can right now to not buy in July. It is terrible.”
He wasn’t bluffing. Friedman spent big in the offseason—dropping $107 million on bullpen arms Tanner Scott, Blake Treinen, and Kirby Yates—with the express goal of insulating the roster from the kind of deadline panic-buying he loathes.
But as Ken Rosenthal reported recently, “Looks like he’ll be shopping again, anyway.”
Dodgers Might Shock Baseball World With Deadline Bat Upgrade—And It Actually Makes Sense
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The surprising twist? The Dodgers may not just shop for arms. They might pivot toward acquiring another bat—a move that seems counterintuitive for a team leading the majors in runs scored, but as The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya put it, it might be the best way to cover up their pitching cracks:
“One way to mitigate all the questions about the Dodgers’ pitching staff is to create a lineup with no holes… If they can find a way to add an impact bat, they can move around the pieces to make everything else work.” — Fabian Ardaya, The Athletic
On Paper, The Los Angeles Dodgers Shouldn’t Need a Hitter
Yes, the Dodgers are tied for second in MLB in runs scored. Yes, they lead the NL West by 5.5 games. Yes, they boast three former MVPs and the NL’s batting average leader.
But not everything has gone to plan. Free-agent signing Michael Conforto has cratered with a .620 OPS, and Max Muncy remains sidelined. In their absence, the lineup’s margin for error has narrowed, particularly against right-handed pitching. The idea of bringing in one more potent lefty bat—perhaps someone like Boston’s Jarren Duran or Baltimore’s Cedric Mullins—could provide enough flexibility to both protect the lineup and shift others into more favorable matchups.
Meanwhile, the bullpen, despite its cost, has become a patchwork unit. Tanner Scott has blown a league-high seven saves. Kirby Yates is giving up homers at a worrying clip. And Blake Treinen remains on the shelf. The bullpen ERA ranks 23rd in the majors at 4.38, and that’s with Dave Roberts pushing starters deeper than ideal.
Even so, help may be on the way. Brusdar Graterol and Michael Kopech could return in the second half. The team is cautiously optimistic that some internal relief will come from within.
Why a Bat Makes Sense
If the bullpen can stabilize with those reinforcements—and the Dodgers can avoid overspending on a volatile closer market—it suddenly becomes more logical to double down on their biggest strength: offense.
With a .471 expected slugging percentage (second in MLB) and a top-three ranking in both hits and home runs, the Dodgers’ offense has, frankly, carried the pitching staff. It’s easier to mask pitching issues when your lineup can outscore nearly anyone.
So why add a bat when the team already leads the league in scoring?
Because one more elite hitter could give Los Angeles a historic lineup—one that buys time for pitchers to return and masks bullpen flaws with scoreboard pressure, that’s why names like Duran, Ryan McMahon, or even someone like Milwaukee outfielder, Blake Perkins, make intriguing sense.
Andrew Friedman hates overpaying in July. But adding another bat might actually be the most cost-effective way to fix what’s broken—and what isn’t.
In a deadline market crowded with desperate teams and overpriced pitching, the Dodgers zigging while others zag might be exactly what keeps them on top.