Fresh off an ugly three-game sweep at the hands of the San Francisco Giants, it looks like the Los Angeles Dodgers will be in buyer mode ahead of the MLB trade deadline.
Team president Andrew Friedman opened up about the Dodgers’ recent struggles to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Within the interview, the front office head seemed to break some news.
“In spring training, I did not expect that in July we would aggressively be looking for pitching. With the injuries and where we are, I think that focus has shifted. There’s no question that pursuing pitching is more likely than it was in March,” Los Angeles Dodgers president Andrew Friedman on MLB trade deadline plans.
There’s certainly a reason for this. Los Angeles enters the week’s action ranked 25th in MLB with a 4.66 ERA. Its rotation boasts a 4.38 ERA while the Dodgers’ bullpen joins only the Oakland Athletics with an ERA over five. All of this came out in spectacular fashion as Los Angeles was swept at home by San Francisco over the weekend, including a 15-0 defeat on Saturday.
The likes of starting pitchers Dustin May, Jose Urias and Noah Syndergaard are currently on the injured list. It’s not an ideal situation for a Los Angeles Dodgers squad that heads into its upcoming two-game set with the Los Angeles Angels in third place in the National League West.
The good news? Los Angeles has the farm system and deep pockets to pull off a noteworthy deal ahead of the August MLB trade deadline.
Related: Sportsnaut’s updated MLB trade rumors
Los Angeles Dodgers trade deadline targets
Here’s a look at some pitchers the Dodgers could target ahead of the trade deadline.
Corbin Burnes, Milwaukee Brewers
Burnes, 28, will be in his final season of arbitration in 2024. Things do not seem to be going swimmingly between the 2021 Cy Young winner and his organization. It could lead to Milwaukee pulling off a deal ahead of the deadline. Burnes is pitching to a 5-4 record with a 3.44 ERA in 14 starts this season. The Los Angeles Dodgers would likely have to give up a top-five prospect as a headliner with pitcher Gavin Stone being one of Milwaukee’s targets.
Shane Bieber, Cleveland Guardians
Having given up seven runs in a recent outing against the Baltimore Orioles, Bieber is not in the midst of one of his best seasons. Like Burns, this 2020 American League Cy Young winner is slated to enter his final year of arbitration in 2024. As you likely already know, the mid-market Guardians have a history of selling off players in similar contract situations. With a 59-30 record and 3.21 ERA across parts of six MLB seasons, Bieber could be a boon for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Marcus Stroman, Chicago Cubs
With a mere $21 million player option for next season, there’s a darn good chance that Stroman will opt out of his contract. It’s just not yet known whether a surprising Cubs team (34-38 on the season) will trade him ahead of the deadline. If so, the Dodgers must come calling. The 32-year-old Stroman has been great this season (8-4 record, 2.45 ERA, 1.04 WHIP). It would take a lot but adding him to the rotation is something Los Angeles must consider.
Related: Los Angeles Dodgers standing in Sportsnaut’s MLB power rankings
Emmanuel Clase, Cleveland Guardians
At 33-38, Cleveland is just two games behind the Minnesota Twins in the worst division in baseball. What happens over the next few weeks will dictate in what direction general manager Mike Chernoff goes. But they could have multiple arms on the block. Clase makes sense to move in that he’d net a whole heck of a lot as a 25-year-old closer who is under team control long term. The youngster has put up a 1.67 ERA and 0.92 WHIP with 88 saves in 203 games since breaking in with the Texas Rangers back in 2019.