The Los Angeles Dodgers don’t just sit atop the Majors with the best record. They also have the kind of farm system that can turn a trade deadline conversation into a real threat.
That matters now, because the Dodgers are in position to chase impact pitching if they decide the roster needs more help. And according to Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller, that’s exactly where the conversation starts.
“If the Dodgers need anything, it's some pitching depth as they wait for Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow to get healthy,” Miller wrote.
He also pointed to the kind of firepower Los Angeles can bring to the table.
“And between their loaded farm system and their seemingly limitless payroll, they're well-positioned to land whoever ends up being the most valuable player moved at the deadline,” he added. “It might not be Tarik Skubal, but it could be Freddy Peralta.”
The Dodgers, back-to-back World Series champions, already have a roster packed with former MVPs and All-Stars. So this isn’t about patching obvious holes everywhere. It’s about whether they want to add another arm, even with Snell and Glasnow expected back eventually.
Skubal is the bigger name, but his situation may be trending toward staying in Detroit. The Tigers have been on a hot run before the All-Star break, and the next two weeks will go a long way toward determining the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner’s trade deadline status.
Peralta is a different kind of target. He’s not putting together the strongest season of his career, but the New York Mets are clearly sellers and the right-hander is headed toward free agency. That should make him cheaper to acquire than Skubal, even if the Dodgers would still have to part with real prospect value.
And that’s the key with Los Angeles: they’ve already shown they’re willing to move prospects when they think the major league roster can be improved. If president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman decides the pitching staff needs another boost, the Dodgers have the assets to make a loud move.
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Dodgers Suddenly Face A Veteran Exit And A Bigger Roster Crossroads
The Dodgers pitching depth took another small hit when a veteran left-hander chose free agency after being designated for assignment, a move that came once Landon Knack was activated from the injured list. It is the kind of roster churn that has become familiar for a club trying to keep its rotation covered while waiting for injured starters to work back, and it adds one more layer to a staff that has been constantly in motion.
Freddie Freeman also offered a reminder that the season can make long-term questions feel distant, saying he is focused on this year and would like to get to 20 major league seasons. Meanwhile, Dave Roberts addressed Eric Lauers place as a sixth starter and acknowledged the possibility that he could become a trade piece before the Aug. 3 deadline if the Dodgers get healthier in the rotation, which leaves the club balancing immediate innings against whatever comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers May Finally Have The Young Arm This Rotation Needs
With the All-Star break here and the Dodgers sitting atop the standings, the front office can afford to think beyond the next series and toward the kind of rotation help that tends to matter most in October. One name worth watching is River Ryan, whose return from injury has been moving along with the kind of patience Los Angeles prefers when it is dealing with a young arm it believes can matter later.
Andrew Friedman has made it clear the Dodgers are not interested in rushing the process, even with the need for another starter looming in the background. Ryan is expected to work his way back into the mix later this season, and if everything goes smoothly from here, the club may finally get a better sense of how soon he can become part of the answer rather than just another promising arm on the way up. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Fans Have A Bigger Roki Sasaki Concern Than They Realized
Roki Sasakis first season in Los Angeles has been bumpy enough that the Dodgers are spending the All-Star break looking for answers, not just results. He finished his final start before the break with six innings of work, allowing four hits and three earned runs, and the broader line has been hard to ignore: a 3-5 record and a 5.33 ERA through 16 starts.
The encouraging part for the Dodgers is that Sasaki is still in the rotation, which gives the club time to keep working through what has gone wrong. The less comforting part is how quickly the conversation has shifted from simple command issues to a deeper mechanical concern, and the next few weeks should tell whether the break gives him a reset or only a brief pause in a season that has already asked a lot of him. [Read more 🡒]