The New York Yankees have made the acquisition they’ve wanted to make for a long time by acquiring Jazz Chisholm Jr. from the Marlins. Even if the Dodgers didn’t want to acquire that specific player, they’re going to have to get things moving if they want an outfielder. Let’s get into it.
3 Outfielders Dodgers Should Try to Acquire
Even though I didn’t mention the outfield in my 3 Positions the Dodgers Need to Improve at the Deadline article, it’s certainly a problem and with two of the most highly-targeted outfielders now off the market, I wanted to talk about it.
No Arozarena? No Chisholm? No problem. Let’s see how the Dodgers can make do with these “second-tier” outfielders.
Chicago White Sox: Luis Robert Jr.
This guy isn’t really “second-tier” (although his play this year kind of makes him one), but if the Dodgers can acquire Robert, it can prove great in the long run, especially with what they’ve had to work with this season. I mean, look at their outfield options.
Jason Heyward. Teoscar Hernandez. Miguel Vargas. Andy Pages. James Outman. Kiké Hernández.
The Dodgers easily fill two. Pages (who’s having a great rookie season) and Teoscar Hernandez (who’s having an amazing season). That third outfield spot? Their options aren’t bad (they aren’t losing because of this one person), but if you have the prospects to go for someone better, why not go for it?
Why would the White Sox trade a superstar? Ever since they traded Dylan Cease to the Padres, it was officially official that the White Sox were rebuilding even though if they fixed the few holes they had, they could be a playoff contender. Garrett Crochet is probably going at the deadline too and you never know if someone like Andrew Vaughn could be traded too. Now, why would the White Sox trade to the Dodgers? Well, the Dodgers have one of the best farm systems in the league so if they trade any good player to this team, the White Sox know they’re getting a good haul, regardless of the number of prospects they get.
Washington Nationals: Lane Thomas
No. He doesn’t hit many home runs, but he does have speed and the Dodgers truly need that. As of July 27, 2024, the Dodgers are ranked 19th in stolen bases. Elly De La Cruz of the Cincinnati Reds — a player — has just about 10 fewer stolen bases than the Dodgers. A team!
Lane Thomas would probably slot at the bottom of this amazing Dodgers lineup. Imagine if he gets on first base, steals a bag, and you have Shohei Ohtani or Mookie Betts or Freddie Freeman or Will Smith up. A single anywhere in the outfield probably scores him.
Toronto Blue Jays: Kevin Kiermaier
Look. I know he’s 34. I know he’s going to retire after this year. I know that he’s not going to be a huge improvement from any of the outfielders they already have, but this is a low-cost, low-risk option with the Blue Jays trying to shop him to a contender.
This same guy had such a great season with the Blue Jays last year. If he gets traded to the Dodgers, he’s on a team that revives old veterans all the time. From David Peralta to Jason Heyward, this team has done everything. Even if it takes the whole of August to whip him back to “shape”, that means when things really matter, he’ll produce and that’s all the Dodgers need.
Look. There are many other outfielders on the market right now. Tommy Edman and Tommy Pham are just a few examples of some great players who the Dodgers can look to offer. Anything is possible.
Main Image: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
