As the MLB Trade Deadline fast approaches at 1 p.m. PT on July 30, the Los Angeles Dodgers figures to be aggressive adding to their roster as they have done in the past, however that has come at a cost.
In 2016, L.A. had the top farm system in baseball on nearly every ranking. In 2017, MLB.com dropped them to sixth and in 2018 they dropped again to 10th before rebounding back to third the following year but dropping back down to 11th in 2020.
Part of the drops were due to the graduations of players such as Corey Seager, Cody Bellinger, Walker Buehler and Julio Urias, but the farm system also took a hit nearly every season at the trade deadline as president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman has made multiple splashes over the years.
Although the Dodgers have promoted and traded a lot of quality talent over the years, Friedman is still confident they have sufficient prospects and players who can entice other teams to make a deal, via Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group:
“We have really talented players in our system,” Friedman said. “I don’t anticipate that being an issue.”
L.A. currently has the 14th ranked farm system, according to MLB.com, headlined by catcher Keibert Ruiz, starting pitcher Josiah Gray and infielder Michael Busch.
The Dodgers will likely try to hold the top-ranked prospects in their system unless a true impact player is made available. Other talent in the organization include outfielders Andy Pages and Jake Vogel; infielders Miguel Vargas, Kody Hoese and Jacob Amaya; catcher Diego Cartaya; and pitchers Ryan Pepiot, Clayton Beeter, Landon Knack and Andre Jackson.
L.A. will also need to contend with the many pitching-needy teams around the league, which could include the Seattle Mariners (third-ranked farm system), San Diego Padres (sixth), Toronto Blue Jays (seventh), Atlanta Braves (15th), New York Yankees (18th), N.Y. Mets (19th), Cincinnati Reds (20th), Philadelphia Phillies (23rd) and Oakland Athletics (26th).
Dodgers focused on starting pitching
While the Dodgers are open to any additions to their pitching staff, they are reportedly focused on adding a starter due to their depleted depth.
Some players they could target include José Berríos of the Minnesota Twins, Max Scherzer of the Washington Nationals and Kyle Gibson of the Texas Rangers. L.A. and the San Francisco Giants are also said to be interested in Kansas City Royals starter Danny Duffy despite being on the 10-day injured list with a left flexor strain.
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