The Dodgers may be headed into another trade deadline with a familiar plan: stay patient, avoid paying too much, and keep the focus on the offseason. That has been Andrew Friedman and Brandon Gomes’ approach for years, and it sounds like it could hold again. Katie Woo of The Athletic recently reported that Los Angeles’ main deadline goal is to improve its minor league depth, which could leave the Dodgers looking more like sellers than buyers.
That doesn’t mean Friedman would ignore a chance to make a move if the right one comes along. He has shown plenty of willingness to jump when the fit is right, and that’s why a few roster and prospect questions are starting to loom larger by the day.
One of the biggest is Josue De Paula. The Dodgers’ top four prospects are all outfielders, and two more outfielders sit inside the top 10.
De Paula, Mike Sirota, and Zyhir Hope are all expected to be ready for the majors by next season, but the big-league roster doesn’t have much room for young outfielders to break through. Los Angeles isn’t built around homegrown talent, even if it does occasionally make room for players like Will Smith, Andy Pages, and Dalton Rushing.
The latest reports suggest De Paula may be next in that line, and while the Dodgers don’t really label anyone untouchable, he may be the closest thing to it.
The rotation brings another tough call. Blake Snell is expected back sometime within the next month, definitely after the All-Star break and probably before the trade deadline, and that means the Dodgers will need to clear a spot in a rotation that is already at six.
Emmet Sheehan and Eric Lauer are the two most vulnerable arms, but for different reasons. Sheehan has had a rough year, posting a 4.91 ERA that is second-worst in the Dodgers rotation behind Roki Sasaki.
Lauer, meanwhile, has been excellent since the Dodgers picked him up from the Toronto Blue Jays, but this is exactly the kind of situation where Los Angeles has been known to turn a low-cost find into trade capital.
The Dodgers could always option Sheehan and keep Lauer, but if they decide to make a bigger move for a starter, both pitchers could end up in play. Sheehan’s struggles haven’t completely wiped out his value, and Lauer’s has only gone up.
Then there’s River Ryan, who might be the cleanest trade chip of the bunch if he’s healthy. If the Dodgers chase another starter and a name like Tarik Skubal or Joe Ryan actually becomes available, the Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins would likely want controllable pitching back.
Los Angeles has that type of arm in abundance, and Ryan could be the best fit. Justin Wrobleski may be too valuable for the Dodgers to part with, while Sheehan’s stock is still down.
Ryan flashed major upside during his short major league run in 2024, but injuries have kept him stuck in limbo since then. Tommy John surgery and, more recently, a hamstring injury have slowed him down.
Even so, Friedman and the front office have hinted that they view Ryan as part of the long-term picture, much like De Paula. If he’s healthy enough to matter in a blockbuster deal, though, the Dodgers would almost certainly listen.
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