PHILADELPHIA, PA – The Los Angeles Dodgers are currently the best team in the National League boasting a 25-12 record with a five-game winning streak after losing four straight and five of six overall.
However, the need for pitching has become more magnified of late. The Dodgers’ pitching was brilliant in April often holding opponents to three runs or less, but May has been different with opposing teams now finding ways to hit L.A.’s pitching a little harder and that includes their top starting pitchers.
Both Walker Buehler and Julio Urias have been good, but not as dominant like we’ve seen years past. Their numbers are still respectable, but their strikeouts are down, velocity is down, and contact has been harder. Combine that with the injuries to Clayton Kershaw and Andrew Heaney who are both weeks away from returning, and there could be a concern over the starting pitching depth and quality.
The bullpen isn’t as big of a concern, however, with one of their most reliable relievers in Blake Treinen likely out until the All-Star break, and fireballer Brusdar Graterol being unable to miss bats with that 102 MPH fastball, perhaps some bullpen help wouldn’t be the worst thing either.
The Dodgers have some talented young arms in their minor league system that have already made their season debuts this year with Ryan Pepiot and Michael Grove giving fans a glimpse into the future. However, it’s unknown if both will make a significant impact this season.
It appears that in order to address this concern, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman will look to the trade market to improve the pitching staff. It’s not that Friedman did a bad job constructing this year’s staff. However, the uncertainty surrounding Trevor Bauer’s situation combined with a thin market for starting pitchers that saw teams overpay for Cy Young Award winners Max Scherzer and Robbie Ray limited the Dodgers’ options.
Also, they lost key relievers like Corey Knebel, Joe Kelly, and Kenley Jansen to free agency and never completely replaced all of them even when adding Daniel Hudson and trading for closer Craig Kimbrel.
The question is who should Friedman target in a potential trade?
Its possible teams like the Oakland A’s and the Cincinnati Reds could be sellers before the trade deadline as both are in last place.
Oakland right-hander Frankie Montas has already been linked to numerous trade rumors and was once in the Dodgers farm system, but the asking price could be high considering he’s under team control until 2024 and other contenders target him as well. However, Freidman could kill two birds with one stone and try and land A’s reliever Lou Trivino as part of a trade package.
The Reds also have a talented right hander in Tyler Mahle who has struggled this season but could just need a change of scenery. Like Montas, he is under team control until 2024 which means the asking price could be steep.
If the first place Minnesota Twins somehow fall off in the second half, perhaps the Dodgers could target veteran righty Sonny Gray who has two more years under his current contract and give the rotation a more experienced starter that they’ve been linked to for years.
The question for Friedman is which prospects will he be comfortable parting ways with in order to bolster the rotation and bullpen, and when will he pull the trigger on such moves.
The potent offense will likely keep the Dodgers in games on most nights and give the current staff a margin for error, but another arm in the rotation and in the bullpen will give them much needed depth to help them deal with injuries and potential struggles from starters and relievers. Time will tell how big the Dodgers’ need for arms will actually be.
