The Dodgers will likely be active ahead of Friday’s trade deadline, here are some big moves they could make
Happy trade deadline week, everyone. Friday is the big day, with the Dodgers expected to make some sort of move prior to the 1:00 p.m. PT deadline. The Dodgers have a clear need for pitching, whether that be starting or relief. They could also use an extra bat, considering their depth is pretty depleted at the moment.
I thought it would be fun to talk about a few potential blockbuster trades the Dodgers could potentially pull off at some point this week. In no way are they rumored to be interested in all of these players, nor is there a possibility Andrew Friedman even has picked up the phone and discussed with these teams.
But hey, trades are fun, and speculating about trades even more so.
Chicago Cubs – Craig Kimbrel, Kris Bryant, Kyle Hendricks
The other day I wrote a more in-depth article on the Dodgers pulling off a massive blockbuster trade with the Cubs. If you want to hear my full thoughts on why that trade would make sense, I’ve linked it above.
However, I am going to make a change. I’m going to switch Zach Davies with Kyle Hendricks in the deal. The reason I wanted to keep Hendricks out was to keep it somewhat realistic. But then I realized that these are just dream-scenario blockbusters, so why not truly go for it after all?
Washington Nationals – Max Scherzer, Daniel Hudson, Josh Harrison
A week ago I put the chances of the Dodgers acquiring Max Scherzer at about one percent. I didn’t think the Nationals would be sellers, and even if they did Scherzer reportedly only wanted to be traded to a team that would sign him to an extension. Well, now the Nationals are pretty much out of the race and his agent Scott Boras recently said they would prefer to negotiate on the open market rather than with just one team.
Well, well, well. Now we’re in business.
Even before the Dodgers’ rotation got torn apart, I was actually on board with the Dodgers trading for Scherzer. Now, they could desperately use him. He’ll likely demand a high price, but I’d be willing to get a pitcher of his caliber in the rotation. Plus, I would be down to sign him to an extension for a couple years moving forward as well.
In addition to wanting Scherzer, why don’t we just add to the package, right? The Dodgers could add a familiar name to their bullpen in Daniel Hudson, who pitched for LA in 2018. He’s been fantastic for the Nats this season, posting a 2.27 ERA with a 2.49 FIP and 0.88 WHIP. His SO/9 of 13.4 is a career-high for him, along with his SO/BB rate of 6.71. He’s a free-agent at the end of the season, and would give the Dodgers an additional/reliable arm out of their bullpen.
Just like with my Cubs trade, we’re going to add a hitter piece as well. Josh Harrison signed a one-year contract with Washington for a whopping $1 million this offseason, and he’s been well worth the money. He’s currently hitting .285 and has 86 hits on the season.
In addition to being a massive upgrade with the bat compared to what the Dodgers have now, he’d also bring versatility in the field, which would be an added bonus. Just in 2021, Harrison has spent time at second base, third base and all three outfield positions. You could rotate him in and out of the lineup as needed, but also use him as a pinch-hitter.
Minnesota Twins – Jose Berrios, Taylor Rogers
Jose Berrios has been a name mentioned in every trade talk imaginable over the last few weeks. Everyone thought he’d be one of the top names on the move, but the Twins have said recently they want to go for it all in 2022, making it unlikely they deal him. Still, there’s a chance Minnesota parts with the starter for the right price, and it very well could be to the Dodgers.
Berrios is a two-time All-Star under a very affordable contract through the end of 2022. He’d help the Dodgers not only this season, but next season as well.
If the Dodgers are trading with the Twins, you might as well try and acquire some bullpen help as well. Taylor Rogers is another guy under a very affordable contract through the end of the 2022 season. He was an All-Star this season for the first time in his career and currently has career-highs in strikeout rate (13.2 SO/9) and FIP (2.12). He’d be a welcoming addition to LA’s bullpen and give them another high-leverage arm.
I was going to throw Byron Buxton in here, just because I have a dream of seeing him with Cody Bellinger and Mookie Betts all in the same outfield. That defense would be insane, plus you could give them a sweet nickname like “The Killer Bee’s” or something like that.
You could put together some sort of hypothetical scenario here, but with the NL not having the DH and having too much outfield depth, it just likely wouldn’t happen. Could you imagine Buxton in this lineup though?
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