The Dodgers are heading toward the 2026 trade deadline with a familiar kind of leverage: a deep farm system, a win-now roster and the kind of ambition that makes every premium name feel at least somewhat attainable.
That’s the good news. The harder part is what comes with it.
If Los Angeles gets serious about chasing Tarik Skubal, Joe Ryan or a bullpen arm to help cover for Edwin Diaz’s early-season injury, the Dodgers won’t just be shopping prospects. They’ll be weighing players who have already helped them at the big-league level.
In other words, nobody is really protected.
Eric Lauer is one of the clearest examples. The Dodgers got him from the Toronto Blue Jays for cash, and he has turned into a useful piece with a 2.54 ERA in five starts.
That’s a huge step up from what he was doing in Toronto, and he’s filled an important need while Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell have been injured. Still, if Los Angeles lands a pitcher like Skubal, Lauer’s hold on a rotation spot could get shaky.
The Dodgers already use a six-man rotation, and unless he shifts to the bullpen, he could be the one squeezed out.
Alex Call has also done his part in left field, sharing the spot with Ryan Ward in a platoon that has held up better than expected. But this is still a World Series contender, and the current setup doesn’t exactly scream permanent.
Teoscar Hernandez is expected back eventually, and once that happens, Call and Ward are both vulnerable. If the Dodgers make a deadline move - even one that doesn’t involve an outfielder - Call could wind up on the outside looking in.
Dalton Rushing feels like the kind of player another team would absolutely ask about. The former top prospect has been solid when given a chance, posting a .799 OPS in 139 at-bats.
But the Dodgers have Will Smith, and when Smith is healthy, he remains the more trusted catcher. Smith has not yet resumed baseball activities because of his nagging neck injury, but the long-term picture still makes Rushing movable.
Smith is signed through 2033, which gives Los Angeles room to include Rushing in a deal if the right upgrade is on the table.
Justin Wrobleski may be the most tempting chip of the bunch. The 25-year-old has stepped up in the Dodgers’ rotation with a 2.71 ERA and a wicked arsenal, and teams such as the Detroit Tigers could push to get him into any package for their ace.
From the Dodgers’ side, moving Wrobleski would also help keep the prospect cost down in a bigger swing for Skubal. He’s one of their best trade assets, even if fans would rather see him stay put.
This time of year, that’s not always the part that matters.
In Other News...
Dave Roberts Just Cemented His Place In Dodgers History
Dave Roberts has already built a rsum that puts him among the most established managers in the game, but the latest entry adds another layer to what he has done with the Dodgers. The longtime Los Angeles skipper reached 1,000 career wins, a mark that only a small group of managers in MLB history have hit, and it keeps him in rare company within franchise history as well.
More notable for Roberts, though, was the way the moment landed. After the final out at Sutter Health Park, players, coaches and his wife, Tricia, were there to celebrate with him, underscoring the people around him as much as the number itself. Roberts leaned into that theme afterward, reflecting on how much of a managerial career is really about the relationships built along the way, not just the wins that get counted. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Farm System Just Delivered A Breakout And A Call-Up Clue
The Dodgers minor league system had one of those nights that makes the organizational depth chart look plenty lively, with four affiliates all picking up wins and the clubs combining to score 36 runs. Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Great Lakes and Ontario all finished on the right side of the ledger, and the box scores offered the usual mix of big swings, timely offense and a few roster moves that hinted at how quickly things can change across the system.
Great Lakes got the loudest individual performance, while the rest of the pipeline kept adding to the feeling that there is real momentum building at multiple levels. There were player activations and assignments across the affiliates, plus the kind of reshuffling that often follows a strong week, and the next question for the Dodgers is which of those performances translate into a bigger role once the organization starts sorting out who is next in line. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Face A Deadline Choice Fans Know Could Sting Again
With the trade deadline approaching, the Dodgers appear to be thinking less about patching the big-league roster and more about strengthening the organization for the long haul. That means the conversation is turning toward prospects again, a familiar lane for a front office that has not been shy about using established players to add younger talent when the market makes sense.
Tarik Skubal remains part of the conversation, and if Detroit really does entertain moving him this summer, the Dodgers would have another chance to chase a premium arm. But even with a system that still looks healthy overall, a deal of that size would come at a cost in prospect depth, which is exactly the kind of tradeoff that has defined some of their boldest deadline decisions before. [Read more 🡒]