We are less than two weeks away from the MLB Trade Deadline, and the Los Angeles Dodgers will have some decisions to make.
Their injuries in the pitching department have been well documented, but they are due to get Blake Snell back soon, and Roki Sasaki should be back by August. Couple that with the fact that Shohei Ohtani is beginning to ramp up his innings, and the Dodgers should have a pretty solid rotation heading into the back half of the season.
MLB.com just released an article predicting the trade deadline strategies for all 30 teams. So what will the Dodgers’ strategy be?
According to MLB Dodgers writer Sonja Chen, it will be to Buy Strategically.
Los Angeles Dodgers Predicted To Buy Strategically At MLB Trade Deadline
This sounds like a bit of an obvious prediction, but it is the correct one. Any trade they make will need to pair well with players who will be returning from injury.
Chen writes:
Although the Dodgers have a high volume of pitcher injuries, their biggest need might actually be a bat to spell the absence of Max Muncy, who’s expected to be out until at least the end of August with a bone bruise in his left knee. They could also use another right-handed leverage reliever, and even though they’re expecting Blake Snell back not long after the break and Roki Sasaki around late August, it never hurts to add rotation depth.
Now, this is not really polarizing, considering it addresses just about every position, but it will be interesting to see what the Dodgers prioritize.
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Michael Conforto is still the big name to watch as he is currently batting .183. He will have these next 10 days or so to prove that he deserves a spot in the lineup, or the Dodgers will likely look to address that outfield spot by adding a more reliable bat.
As I said earlier, barring any setbacks, I think they will stand pat at the starting rotation, but adding another healthy reliever is certainly in the cards.
Divisional trades are a rarity, but if the Colorado Rockies are big sellers, which they likely will be, the Dodgers could take a look at their pen and go after someone like right-hander Jake Bird, who is their current set-up man.
It will be fascinating to see it all unfold.