The Dodgers are staring at the same question every contender faces at the deadline, only with a far more dangerous answer attached: how far are they willing to push?
Los Angeles has the kind of farm system that can pry loose almost anyone on the market, and that kind of prospect capital usually invites a swing for the fences. If the goal is to become the first National League team ever to win three straight titles, the temptation to go all-in is obvious.
But the Dodgers have never been the type to throw away value just to say they did something. Andrew Friedman has made that part of the franchise’s DNA, calling deadline deals like “paying 150 cents, 200 cents on the dollar.” And with this roster, they could stand pat and still enter the stretch run as World Series favorites.
So what happens before Monday’s 3 p.m. PT deadline? The expectation here is that Los Angeles won’t land the biggest name on the board, but it also won’t sit quietly.
Tarik Skubal is the headline name everyone will talk about, but the Dodgers are not the landing spot. The reigning back-to-back Cy Young winner hasn’t even been made available yet by the Tigers, and Detroit has every reason to hesitate. The Tigers are 52-58, but they’re only 3.5 games out of the final American League wild-card spot, which makes Skubal both a trade chip and their best shot at winning a postseason series.
If Skubal does get moved, the Dodgers are expected to stay out of the bidding. He’s set to reach free agency in a few months, and Los Angeles doesn’t want to empty the system for a rental.
A team like the Brewers or Rays could be the one willing to pay that price. Skubal may still end up in Dodger Stadium soon enough, just not in a trade - perhaps in a couple of months after signing one of the richest pitching contracts in MLB history.
Instead, the Dodgers are projected to turn to a different kind of arm: Clay Holmes. The Mets right-hander is recovering from a fractured fibula and has already begun a rehab assignment, and the Dodgers were among the clubs scouting him. Before the injury, Holmes delivered a 2.39 ERA in nine starts across 52.2 innings, and his profile is especially appealing because of what he was before becoming a starter.
From 2021 to 2024 with the Yankees, Holmes logged 220 relief appearances, posted a 2.69 ERA, struck out 238 and made two All-Star teams. That background gives Los Angeles flexibility now and later.
He could step into the rotation immediately and help the club preserve its six-man setup over the final two months. Then in October, if Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow are all healthy, Holmes could slide back into the bullpen as a multi-inning weapon.
There’s also a contractual wrinkle. Holmes has a $12 million player option for next season, but if he finishes strong in Los Angeles, he could choose free agency instead. The Dodgers wouldn’t be bothered by that if he gives them what they need now.
The roster shuffle won’t stop there, either. The Dodgers have too many outfielders and not enough spots, both in the majors and in the system.
At the big league level, Kyle Tucker, Andy Pages and Teoscar Hernández are joined by Alex Call, Tommy Edman and Kiké Hernández. In the minors, MLB Pipeline lists 12 outfielders in the Dodgers’ top 30 prospects, and Landyn Vidourek has already been dealt to the Rockies.
That crowding means movement. Call is expected to be traded and has drawn interest from at least three teams.
Ryan Ward, 28, is also expected to move. At least one more outfielder could go, and possibly more, with a Holmes deal a natural place for that kind of piece to be included.
The only names believed to be staying put are Josue De Paula, Mike Sirota and Eduardo Quintero.
Eric Lauer is another player whose time in Los Angeles may be nearing its end, despite how well he’s pitched. Since coming over from the Blue Jays in mid-May, the left-hander is 5-0 with a 2.96 ERA, and the Dodgers are 9-0 in his outings.
Even so, with free agency coming in a couple months and the postseason picture potentially squeezing him out, he likely won’t have a spot if everyone is healthy. That makes him a candidate to be moved for a prospect or two, with Holmes effectively taking his place in the rotation.
If that happens, Lauer leaves with the kind of résumé contenders appreciate: steady innings, useful wins, and a real chance to get a ring if the Dodgers finish the job.
In Other News...
Mets Just Sent A Bigger Trade Deadline Message Than Fans Expected
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It is the kind of swap that says plenty about where the club is headed right now. Brazobn had been part of the bullpen picture, but the Mets chose to turn a controllable arm into younger pitching depth as they keep working through deadline decisions, and the next moves will say even more about how aggressively they plan to retool. [Read more 🡒]
Mets Deadline Catching Move Could Signal Something Bigger
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For New York, the deal is notable not just for the arm coming back, but for what it says about how the front office viewed the rest of the market. Rortvedts value to the Dodgers was rooted in his familiarity with the club and the stability he provided during last years injury-hit stretch, and moving him now suggests the Mets were willing to turn a useful depth piece into a return they felt better matched their needs down the stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Mets Deadline Purge Is Already Hitting Familiar Names
The Mets' deadline reshuffling has already started to put a familiar feel to the churn, with the front office turning over pieces and bringing in prospect capital as the trade market heats up across the league. New York sent Freddy Peralta to the Tampa Bay Rays and moved Huascar Brazobn to the Chicago White Sox, part of a broader stretch of deadline activity that saw clubs around baseball making their own swaps and roster changes before the clock runs out.
On the roster side, the Mets also made room by promoting Robert Stock and Bryce Conley while designating Kevin Herget and MJ Melendez for assignment. For a team trying to thread the needle between present depth and future value, these are the kinds of decisions that can reshape the bullpen and the organizational picture in a hurry, even if the final ripple from this purge is still taking shape. [Read more 🡒]