The Dodgers may not have an obvious hole, but that hasn’t stopped them from getting tied to one of the bigger names on the market as the Aug. 3 trade deadline nears.
Los Angeles was recently linked to Tigers All-Star Gleyber Torres by MLB insider Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, with the Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays and Cleveland Guardians listed as possible fits. Second base is the one spot in the Dodgers’ lineup that isn’t fully settled, which is why Torres makes sense on paper. Still, Tommy Edman is back and playing well, so a pursuit only really seems to gain traction if an injury creates a need.
Torres has missed the last few weeks with a left oblique strain, but he’s expected back soon. And if Detroit decides to start moving pieces, he looks like the kind of player who could draw plenty of attention. He’s been productive this season, hitting .280/.395/.395 with four home runs and 18 RBIs.
The appeal goes beyond the numbers. Torres has shown strong plate discipline, ranking in the 99th percentile in chase percentage. That kind of approach fits naturally with the way the Dodgers want their hitters to work at-bats and stay selective.
There’s also the matter of experience. Torres already has years of pressure-packed baseball behind him from his time with the New York Yankees, which only adds to his appeal if Los Angeles is looking for a player who can handle the spotlight.
The Dodgers have been connected to Torres before, and this could be the moment where the fit finally lines up. With the Tigers struggling, a fire sale around the roster is widely expected, and Torres could be part of it.
Los Angeles has also been heavily linked to Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, raising the possibility of a larger deal between the two clubs. Both Torres and Skubal are set to become free agents after the 2026 season, so Detroit may prefer to collect assets now rather than risk losing them later.
The Dodgers have the prospect capital to get something like that done. The only question is how aggressive they want to be.
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His rise matters even more because it came during a period of real change around the program, with Chip Kelly gone, DeShaun Foster taking over and plenty of roster movement around him. Woods opted to stay put through that transition, and his growth from spot duty to a more trusted contributor, including his first career start against USC, is the sort of stability UCLA can use as it tries to settle into Foster's new era. [Read more 🡒]
