The Los Angeles Dodgers boast MLB’s best record and a roster with seemingly few holes. Can they really get much better with a trade deadline move?
Despite dropping their last two games to the Braves, the Los Angeles Dodgers don’t have a whole lot to complain about on July 22. Only the Astros are enjoying a season that can rival theirs. With a 66-31 record, L.A. has staked itself to a comfortable 9.5-game lead in the NL West that looks like it should hold for the duration of the campaign without much fuss.
This is also the time of year when contending teams scan the trade market for potential upgrades that could give them an advantage down the stretch and into the postseason. Even the league’s top clubs typically have one or two areas where they could stand to improve. But do the surging Dodgers even have a discernible weakness they need to address before the trade deadline?
That’s the question posed by Danny Knobler of Bleacher Report, and it’s an interesting one to consider. He points to the 1998 Yankees as an example of a World Series-winning team that stood pat at the deadline. Aside from dabbling in the market for Randy Johnson, those Yanks chose not to make a significant addition. It paid off to the tune of 114 regular season wins and a relatively smooth ride to the title.
Are the 2017 Dodgers already on the road to such legendary company? Impressive record aside, this has proven to be a remarkably well-rounded squad. At the plate, L.A. ranks fifth in runs scored (495), eighth in home runs (138) and third in OPS (.795) between both leagues. Their starting pitchers own the best overall ERA in baseball (3.33), while their bullpen (2.90) trails only Cleveland.
The Dodgers are more than respectable on defense as well, placing eighth with a 3.8 UZR/150 and sixth at 22 defensive runs saved (DRS).
However, the fact that the Boys in Blue don’t appear to have any obvious holes hasn’t scurried them from trade rumors. In fact, they’ve been linked to several prominent trade candidates in recent days. But how far should they be willing to go to make a deal? And what kind of upgrade could they pursue?
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L.A. is reportedly in the market for a bullpen piece, specifically a left-handed one. Luis Avilan and Grant Dayton are currently the only southpaw relievers on the roster. With speculation growing that the Orioles could move Zach Britton, the Dodgers have emerged as one of the primary suitors. A dark horse Cy Young candidate a year ago, a nagging forearm injury has kept Britton from last season’s elite performance level. However, he’s still a brand name and controllable through next year.
With Kenley Jansen putting together an utterly dominant season (24-for-24 in saves! Two walks in 41 innings!) the Dodgers certainly don’t have to worry about their closer. But stacking dependable options for the middle and late innings is never a bad thing, as we saw last postseason. L.A. has also been connected to Brad Hand, Justin Wilson and Addison Reed (though the latter is a righty).
Getting another upper-tier arm for the rotation could also make a big difference in October. There arguably isn’t a better option to have in a Game 1 scenario than Clayton Kershaw, but Alex Wood has yet to start a game in the postseason and Rich Hill will always be an injury concern. The Dodgers are reportedly sniffing around top dogs like Yu Darvish and Justin Verlander. The cost will be steep, but pair either of those guys with Kershaw and a dangerous team gets even more lethal.
Consider a possible rematch with the Nationals, who could send Max Scherzer, a healthy Stephen Strasburg and a rejuvenated Gio Gonzalez to the mound in Games 1-3. The Dodgers staff has more than done its job so far, but adding some more rotational firepower for a playoff series can’t hurt.
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The Dodgers have the luxury of approaching the trade deadline however they want. They can try to add even more weapons in preparation for a title run, but if the asking prices aren’t to their liking, a 66-31 squad is not a bad thing to fall back on. However, as they aim to snap a 29-year championship drought, they shouldn’t be afraid to take a leap, regardless of how invincible their team looks right now. This season’s Dodgers hope to end up more like the ’98 Yankees than the 2001 Mariners, after all.