How the Dodgers might attack the Deadline

July 31st, 2022

This story was excerpted from Juan Toribio's Dodgers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

If the Dodgers don’t make any moves before Tuesday's Trade Deadline, they still believe they have all the pieces to make a World Series run this season. The offense is finally living up to the preseason hype. The starting rotation had three All-Stars. And the bullpen has key pieces coming back. 

With all that being said, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman knows the Deadline is the last time he can improve the team this season. Over the next two days, the Dodgers will have to decide if there’s a deal on the table -- and if so, what it is -- that improves their chances at winning a second World Series in three years. 

Let’s take a look at the Dodgers’ trade primer with two days left before the Deadline.

What’s the latest with Juan Soto?
Which team Soto will be on by Wednesday is the question the baseball world is eager to find out. Assuming the Angels aren’t being serious about trading Shohei Ohtani, it appears Soto is the biggest star likely to be traded this week. Because of that, every team in the Majors has probably picked up the phone to give Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo a call.

The Dodgers are no exception. The two organizations have had ongoing talks about a potential Soto trade, which isn’t necessarily shocking news. The problem right now, however, is that the asking price might be a little higher than Los Angeles -- or really any team -- would like.

According to sources, the Nationals are asking for at least four of the five or six top prospects in an organization. One source also added that they’re looking for a young, controllable Major Leaguer. Basically, take four of the top six or seven prospects in the organization and add a player like Dustin May and Gavin Lux. The Dodgers view Lux and May as key pieces moving forward.

The question now is: Does Los Angeles think it’s worth trading away a significant haul for one player?

If the Dodgers believe having Soto, who has two and a half years left of team control, can bring home a World Series in the next three seasons, the answer is yes. But if the Dodgers believe they can win a World Series without Soto, they could opt to use some of their farm system to bolster other areas of the team. They could also hope that Soto doesn’t get traded before the Deadline and make a run at him in the offseason when the asking price lowers.

As of this writing, it sounds like the Padres are the team to most likely meet the Nationals’ demands. It doesn’t mean that they will, but San Diego general manager A.J. Preller isn’t afraid to blow up the system for one player. But if the asking price goes down a bit as the Deadline gets closer, the Dodgers are certainly a team to watch. The reality, however, is that not many people know what the Nationals will ultimately do.

If not Soto, then who do the Dodgers add on the position player side?
Part of why there’s been little action is because Soto is still out there. Look at the Yankees, for example. They might not have wanted to wait on a Soto decision, and so they swooped in and traded for Andrew Benintendi. At some point, every team will have to either meet the Nationals’ demands or move on.

If the Dodgers do, indeed, decide to move on, they’ll have options to add a position player. Los Angeles checked in on Benintendi before he was traded to the Yankees. A right-handed bat, however, seems more likely.

The Red Sox won’t deal Xander Bogaerts, but they’re much more open to parting with All-Star J.D. Martinez, who is in the last year of his contract. Martinez would give the Dodgers another presence in the lineup, but while with the Rays, Friedman preferred to not be tied down to one player at DH and likely feels the same way now.

Right now, the Dodgers have leaned on Justin Turner and Max Muncy at DH. Will Smith has also gotten a healthy amount of time there whenever he’s not catching. Smith will play more DH down the stretch, particularly in the postseason as Austin Barnes is a better defensive catcher.

Reds infielder Brandon Drury, Cubs utilityman Ian Happ and Royals second baseman Whit Merrifield also make a lot of sense. They would give the Dodgers another solid bat and much-needed insurance for an aging Turner and Muncy, who hasn’t been able to figure it out at the plate this season.

What about starting pitchers?
May pitched three scoreless innings for Triple-A Oklahoma City on July 28. That was an encouraging sign for a rehabbing pitcher, but also marked a big moment for the Dodgers, who now feel trading for a starting pitcher isn’t a pressing need.

If May and Walker Buehler return from injury, the Dodgers believe they have enough starting pitching to carry them through the postseason. May should be back at some point in August. Buehler’s return remains to be seen.

Getting a pitcher of Max Scherzer’s caliber won’t be possible this Deadline. The Mariners already acquired Luis Castillo, the most impactful arm on the market. The Dodgers had conversations with the Reds, but never got close to any type of deal, according to a source. Much of that has to do with May’s progression and the optimism around Buehler. Will relying on injured players come back to haunt the Dodgers? Only time will tell.

Talk to me about the bullpen.
The Dodgers made a move on Saturday, acquiring right-hander Chris Martin from the Cubs in exchange for utilityman Zach McKinstry. Martin is the type of pitcher the Dodgers like to look for near the Deadline. He has a 4.31 ERA this season, but hasn’t walked a batter since May 26.

If there’s one thing Friedman hates to do in July, it’s to trade a pair of prospects for a reliever. Another move similar to the Martin trade could be in the cards. But don’t expect the Dodgers to make a splash for one of the top relievers on the market.