Sunday, July 27

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With less than a week to go until Thursday’s Trade Deadline, the market has been moving slowly. But all it takes is one domino to fall for things to really heat up. 

The Dodgers have played it close to the vest when it comes to their needs, as many teams tend to do around this time of year. But they are scuffling with the Deadline fast approaching, having lost 11 of their past 15 games -- a rough patch that has exposed some areas of improvement that they should address. 

"We'll see how these next few days come out and what everything looks like," general manager Brandon Gomes said recently. "But, as of now, our stance hasn't changed on needing to go out and get additional pieces."

Here are some key questions ahead of the Trade Deadline:

What do the Dodgers need?

I covered this in some detail a few days ago. The short version: Upgrading the bullpen should be the priority, and it wouldn't hurt to add a bat to help lengthen the lineup. 

In both of these areas, the Dodgers should have some in-season reinforcements coming. Blake Treinen should be back soon, with Michael Kopech to follow at the end of August -- and perhaps Brusdar Graterol at some point in September. Los Angeles avoided the worst with Tanner Scott, but his timeline to return is not yet clear.

On the position-player side, getting Max Muncy back in the next couple of weeks could provide a big boost. But the team is also banking on some of its slumping regulars to return to form.

While it seems a fair bet that Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts could have more in the tank than what they've shown lately, it's less clear that Michael Conforto will heat up after multiple down seasons at the plate. (Although it should be said that Conforto has had some bad batted-ball luck this year, entering Friday with a .222 BABIP, well below the league average of .296.)

Which players could they target?

Let's focus on the biggest area of need here. The Dodgers have been missing a dependable high-leverage right-handed reliever.

With several teams still on the buy/sell bubble, it's not immediately clear who the best available arms might be. Some impending free agents who could be a good fit include the Cardinals' Ryan Helsley and the Nationals' Kyle Finnegan. The Rays' Pete Fairbanks is another intriguing option, although he has a club option for 2026, so he isn't necessarily a rental.

There has also been some talk of controllable arms being available ahead of the Deadline, such as the Twins' Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax, as well the Guardians' Emmanuel Clase. I would be somewhat surprised if the Dodgers went this route, given their preference not to buy when prices are highest in July.

That said, if the right opportunity comes along, the club isn’t afraid to be aggressive.

Who are some potential trade chips?

To go with the Dodgers’ success at the big league level, their farm system is one of the strongest in the Majors. They have six prospects ranked on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 list, but much of the top talent in the organization is at least a couple years away from the Major Leagues.

If teams are looking for big league-ready players, then the Dodgers' most valuable asset right now is probably their upper Minors pitching depth, including arms with Major League experience such as Bobby Miller, Landon Knack and Justin Wrobleski.

But that begs the question …

Could the Dodgers buy and sell?

There has been some speculation that Dustin May could be used as a trade chip, as he is an impending free agent and could be of interest to teams as a bullpen piece. The problem with trading away May -- or any of the aforementioned arms -- is, well, the Dodgers might need them. 

L.A.'s rotation is getting healthier, and the bullpen is coming along slowly. But given how recent history has unfolded, this team should probably not rely on its pitching staff staying healthy to close out the season.

The Dodgers might have a 40-man roster crunch coming this offseason, when they'll need to find spots for any players who end the season on the 60-day IL. But last year, they ended up having exactly enough pitching to win the World Series with a beleaguered staff. They won't want to come up short this year.

• With Scott sidelined, Kirby Yates figures to be an option to get the ball in save situations. But he's had a disappointing season thus far, having already allowed twice as many homers (six) as he did last year to go with a 4.45 ERA.

"The [splitter] has been the problem," manager Dave Roberts said. "It’s just not moving the way we’d like it to. But as far as my trust in him going out there to finish a game -- especially given losing Tanner for the time being -- with the guys we have, I have all the confidence that he’s going to finish some games.”

• Ben Casparius appears to be OK after an injury scare, but his regression over the past two months has been worrisome. The rookie posted a 2.54 ERA through his first 20 appearances, but he's allowed 25 runs over his past 25 innings, a span in which he was briefly in the rotation before returning to the bullpen.

"I think just different workloads, trying to get acclimated to a relief role again," Casparius said. "I think just going through some mechanical changes and working on stuff. I'm working with those guys almost every single day about the attack plan or maybe different pitch shapes, stuff like that. I think it's coming along."

• Tony Gonsolin has yet to resume throwing after going on the IL with right elbow discomfort in June, and time is running out for him to return and fully ramp up to a starter's workload this season.

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