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What will the Dodgers do at the MLB trade deadline?
It’s trade deadline day. And though they’ve only made one minor move to this point, the Dodgers are still expected to be in the middle of the action.
As has so often been the case during Andrew Friedman’s time as president of baseball operations, the Dodgers arrive at the deadline with World Series aspirations, looking to upgrade a club in possession of first place in the National League West.
The Dodgers’ two needs today are clear:
1. Adding a late-game, high-leverage, right-handed reliever to stabilize a bullpen that has been beset by injuries and underperformance this season.
On Wednesday, the Dodgers sat on the sideline of trade activity while several top names went elsewhere, including Jhoan Durán to the Philadelphia Phillies, and Ryan Helsley and Tyler Rogers to the New York Mets.
But other targets are still available: Highly-coveted closers David Bednar of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Pete Fairbanks of the Tampa Bay Rays; gifted younger set-up men like Cade Smith of the Cleveland Guardians and Griffin Jax of the Minnesota Twins; more middle-relief types including Phil Maton of the St. Louis Cardinals and Anthony Bender of the Miami Marlins; and wild card veterans in Raisel Iglesias of the Atlanta Braves and familiar face Kenley Jansen of the Angels.
As of Wednesday night, even star Athletics closer Mason Miller appeared to be potentially available, with clubs looking to capitalize upon the surging price for relief help this deadline has so far included.
2. Another position player to bolster the Dodgers’ recently struggling lineup.
The Dodgers have cast a wide net in this area. A defensive upgrade in the outfield would be ideal, but the team could also use another left-handed bat, and could make another infielder work given the versatility of their roster (though Tommy Edman’s lingering ankle injury has made that a tougher fit in recent days).
The dream scenario here would be Steven Kwan of the Cleveland Guardians, a career .285 hitter considered one of the best left fielders in the sport.
Other names who could fit include: Harrison Bader of the Minnesota Twins, who play center field for the Dodgers and move Andy Pages to a more naturally-suited corner outfield spot); Mike Tauchman of the Chicago White Sox; Ramon Laureano and Cedric Mullins of the Baltimore Orioles, Jesus Sanchez of the Miami Marlins; and Brendan Donovan of the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Dodgers should have some flexibility in the deals they pursue. They still have a deep farm system, albeit without many upper-level impact players that teams could be seeking (assuming the club, as it has indicated, does not make catcher Dalton Rushing available in a trade). They also don’t seem to be limited by any financial constraints, able to take on extra salary in a way that will make some buyers more wary.
At a bare minimum, a top reliever is expected to arrive before the 3 p.m. PT cutoff. Beyond that, the team will look to be opportunistic, willing to make a splash if they can line up on a deal, but also seemingly content if no major addition to the lineup materializes.
Follow along with live updates below.
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Dodgers have a top-five farm system. What names could entice selling clubs?
Despite trading prospects away at seemingly every deadline, and rarely picking high in the draft for almost a decade now, the Dodgers’ farm system has remained one of the highest-rated in the majors, ranked as the fourth-best system this year by MLB Pipeline.
The makeup of the group, however, has changed in recent years.
Most of the Dodgers’ top pitching prospects in recent years have suffered injuries. And on the offensive side, their best bats are still in the lower rungs of minor league baseball.
As one evaluator put it, “it’s depth over impact” — which could benefit the Dodgers in some trade talks, but limit them when in negotiations with teams looking to compete in the near-term.
Outside of catcher Dalton Rushing (whom manager Dave Roberts said was highly unlikely to be traded this week) and infielder Alex Freeland (a top-100 prospect in the sport who was called up for his MLB debut this week), the club is lacking in impact hitters close to being ready to play in the majors.
Their most exciting hitting prospects — including Future’s Game MVP Josue De Paula, recent trade acquisitions Zyhir Hope and Mike Sirota, and breakout talent Eduardo Quintero — are all currently in high-A.
According to MLB Pipeline, the only top-30 player in the Dodgers’ system in triple-A right now is 22-year-old infielder Noah Miller.
On the mound, Jackson Ferris is the Dodgers’ top pitching prospect, but has a 4.54 ERA in double-A this season.
The only other pitcher who ranks in the top-12 of the club’s farm system is River Ryan, who is recovering from a Tommy John surgery he had last year.
The Dodgers do have other interesting names. 2024 third-rounder Chase Harlan and Taiwanese outfielder Ching-Hsien Ko have impressed evaluators in A-ball this year. Right-hander Christian Zazueta is another A-ball player whose stock has risen this season.
It means the Dodgers should have plenty of trade chips to get deals done — but will have to decide how willing they are to part with one of their top prospects if it is required to execute a bigger splash.
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Why outfield defense figures to be one of Dodgers’ deadline priorities
As we detailed earlier this week, one way the Dodgers could improve the position-player half of the roster is by finding a defensive upgrade in the outfield.
While the lineup has struggled in July, that has mostly been due to Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Shohei Ohtani and Teoscar Hernández slumping to various degrees. Meanwhile, one of the Dodgers’ best hitters of late has actually been Michael Conforto, who has finally played up expectations (at least for one month) after signing a $17 million deal in the offseason.
Still, despite a .278 average and .889 OPS since June 22, Conforto’s season batting average remains below .200 — and his defense in left field continues to be a weakness.
For a Dodgers team that is hoping to rely on the strength of a fully-healthy pitching staff come October, having Conforto and Hernández (who has also graded out poorly in right field this year) as their corner outfielder looms as a potential vulnerability in a postseason environment.
That’s part of the team’s appeal for players like Steven Kwan of the Cleveland Guardians (considered one of the best left fielders in the sport) and Harrison Bader of the Minnesota Twins (who has played well in left field this season and could shift to center with the Dodgers, allowing Andy Pages to move to a more naturally-suited corner outfield spot).
The Dodgers could also upgrade their outfield by adding another infielder, and shift Tommy Edman to center field down the stretch.
But Edman has been limited this year by a lingering ankle injury, leaving his ability to play the outfield in doubt. Another internal outfield option, Kiké Hernández, also remains shut down from baseball activities because of an elbow injury. He is still expected to return this season, but the fact his injury has dragged on this long makes him more of an uncertainty as well.
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As reliever prices soar, how much will Dodgers give up for late-game help?
The Dodgers have typically been loath to meet steep deadline prices for big-name relievers in the past.
But based on the way the market is shaping up, they may be left with no other choice this year.
Wednesday’s flurry of moves saw hefty packages exchanged for Jhoan Durán (two top-100 Phillies prospects), Ryan Helsley (two of the Mets’ top-15 prospects) and Tyler Rogers (two of the Mets’ top-12 prospects).
The hauls for Helsley and Rogers were particularly surprising, as they were only rentals who will hit free agency after the season.
That won’t be the case with the top relievers left on the board entering Thursday:
Pittsburgh Pirates closer David Bednar (2.37 ERA, 17 saves) won’t be a free agent until 2027. Tampa Bay Rays closer Pete Fairbanks (2.75 ERA, 18 saves) has a relatively team-friendly club option for next year that could top out at $11 million through incentives.
While the Dodgers have been linked to both, neither are certain to move.
The Rays, who remain in AL wild-card contention, would be content keeping Fairbanks unless they receive a compelling offer.
The Pirates view Bednar (who is making only $5.9 million this year in his penultimate season of arbitration) as perhaps the best value on the market.
Elsewhere, Cade Smith of the Cleveland Guardians is under control until 2030, and might be less likely to move after Cleveland’s closer (and another supposed trade chip) Emmanuel Clase was put on leave amid a gambling investigation.
Likewise, Griffin Jax (3.91 ERA, 21 holds) of the Minnesota Twins, under control through 2027, might also be even harder to pry away now, with his former bullpen-mate in Durán having already been shipped out.
If the Dodgers do prefer a rental who would come at a more reasonable price, Raisel Iglesias of the Atlanta Braves could have appeal. He has a strong career track record (2.99 career ERA, 236 saves), and has shown improvements in recent weeks despite a career-worst overall season (4.97 ERA). Plus, his $16 million salary might limit his market of suitors.
Kenley Jansen (2.93 ERA, 20 saves) would also fit in that category, although the Angels appear to be buyers and are unlikely to make trades with the Dodgers anyway.
If relief costs remain too high in the Dodgers’ eyes, they could explore second-tier alternatives, such as St. Louis’ Phil Maton (2.35 ERA, 20 holds), Miami’s Anthony Bender (1.83 ERA, 18 holds), and Washington’s Kyle Finnegan (4.38 ERA, 20 saves).
And, while it appears like an extreme long-shot given the likely asking price (and reported interest from the divisional rival San Diego Padres), the Athletics seem to at least be entertaining offers on young, hard-throwing closer Mason Miller (3.76 ERA, 20 saves) — holding the 26-year-old, who is under control until 2030, out of Wednesday’s game as trade rumors swirled.
There’s little doubt the Dodgers will get something done before the deadline. Given Evan Phillips’ season-ending Tommy John surgery, and the struggles top offseason signings Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates have endured, the Dodgers need one more arm to shore up the back end of their bullpen.
But with costs high and options dwindling, the clock is ticking for them to land one of the few remaining impact candidates.