Outfielders (or sometimes outfielders) LA is reportedly interested in ahead of the trade deadline on Thursday at 3 p.m. PT.
While pitching will almost certainly feature prominently in the Dodgers’ trade deadline plans, it appears that the outfield is also a point of need.
We’ve talked here since before the season that the Dodgers lacked depth on the position-player side, and the last few weeks have provided a literal pain point with both Max Muncy and Kiké Hernández sidelined. Alex Freeland will be in Cincinnati on Tuesday, though the exact path to his activation hasn’t yet been revealed.
Multiple sites have reported on the Dodgers’ interest in outfielders as well.
As a group, Dodgers outfielders have minus-9 Outs Above Average, tied for 23rd in the majors, and are hitting .242/.302/.424 with a 102 wRC+ that ranks 13th. Michael Conforto is below replacement level on the season as measured by both Baseball Reference and FanGraphs, though he’s been better of late, hitting .274/.328/.500 with a 131 wRC+ in July.
From Bob Nightengale at USA Today on Sunday:
They also are looking to upgrade their outfield with Michael Conforto’s season-long struggles and have expressed interest in Minnesota Twins outfielder Harrison Bader and Cardinals utility man Brendan Donovan.
Fabian Ardaya last Friday at The Athletic also reported the Dodgers’ interest in both Bader and Donovan, noting “The ideal would be to add a left-handed-hitting outfielder, a league source said, though adding a solid glove to deepen their position player group … could also fit as the Dodgers seek upgrades.”
Bader, currently with the Twins, bats right-handed but provides good defense at all three outfield spots. Donovan is a left-handed hitter and has played all over the field, with the bulk of his starts coming at second base and left field. If the Dodgers were to acquire Donovan, he’d join Tommy Edman as Cardinals utility players to make the exodus to Los Angeles.
As for a left-handed-hitting outfielder, Steven Kwan would certainly fit the bill. But at age 27 the two-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner with two more years of salary arbitration after his $4.175 million this season, Kwan would likely come with a hefty cost.
Ken Rosenthal at The Athletic on Monday wrote about the Guardians’ potential deadline plans, noting the Dodgers, Blue Jays, Phillies, and Padres are among the teams in the mix for Kwan.
“The Guardians intend to set a high bar for their desired return,” Rosenthal wrote. “The combination of Kwan’s age, additional years of control and offensive, defensive and base-running ability makes him perhaps the best position player available.”
Jack Harris at the Los Angeles Times called Kwan “a dream target, albeit with the kind of hefty acquisition cost the Dodgers are unlikely to meet.”
Harris also reported the Dodgers were interested in Bader and the utility man Donovan, noting “the Dodgers’ interest appears to be strong” in Bader, who would upgrade the outfield defense.
Any of these three trade targets would be around for potentially more than just this season. Donovan, like Kwan, has two more years of arbitration after 2025, with Donovan making $2.85 million this season.
Bader is making $6.25 million this season and has a $10 mutual option for 2026 with a $1.5 million buyout. Per Cot’s Contracts, that buyout for Bader could double based on playing time, with Bader currently at 300 plate appearances this season: “$200,000 each for 400, 425, 450 PA. $450,000 each for 475, 500 PA.”
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