The Los Angeles Dodgers have been struggling the last couple of weeks. They’re now 5-10 in July, and something needs to change. With the trade deadline coming up on July 31st, they have their work cut out for them. We’ve already had a huge trade this season involving the NL West, with the Giants acquiring Rafael Devers.
Dodgers MLB Trade Deadline Checklist
Bullpen
Luis Garcia is at a 5.27 ERA, Tanner Scott is at a 4.00 ERA, Kirby Yates is at a 3.94 ERA, Anthony Banda is at a 3.92 ERA, and Lou Trevino has a 3.76 ERA. In total, $29,246,717 is being put to absolute waste. The Dodgers’ bullpen has had 14 blown saves, with Scott leading the league with seven blown saves. They currently rank 25th in the MLB with a 4.38 ERA, even though they spent a lot of money trying to shore up the bullpen this offseason. Currently, their save percentage is at 73 percent.
Now, yes, key injuries have certainly set the Dodgers back. Evan Phillips went through Tommy John surgery, at this point, way too common for the Dodgers and Michael Kopech and Blake Treinen have played exactly eight games this season.
The Dodgers can target a lot of guys. Ryan Helsley is reportedly being targeted by the Dodgers, even though he has said that he wants to stay with the Cardinals as the longest tenured player on the roster. The Dodgers have also reportedly called the Twins in trade talks for Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax, especially with the Twins having one of the best bullpens in the league right now. Both of these guys are under control until 2027. These three guys don’t just have the Dodgers calling them, though. To get one of these guys, they’re really going to need to put together a competitive offer.
Outfield
Let’s cut to the chase. Michael Conforto is struggling right now. He’s batting at .184 this season, with eight home runs, 49 hits, 23 RBIs, and 74 strikeouts. It’s not good. But, they can fix this.
Bryan Reynolds was the guy I was thinking of, but he has said that if it comes to that point, he will not waive his no-trade clause for the Dodgers. One of the best trades for the Dodgers, though, is Luis Robert Jr. Yes, he has struggled this year, hitting .190, but he’s in the 94th percentile for bat speed, had a 5.1 WAR season in 2023, and when he’s on the bases, he’s on the move, with 22 steals. He’s not going to get any cheaper than this.
But we’re talking about the Dodgers here. We absolutely cannot rule out a trade for someone like Jarren Duran and Steven Kwan. Yeah, I’m being for real. In fact, many top analysts say that the Dodgers are willing to go after Byron Buxton, though it will take a trade package that’s through the roof.
Starting Pitcher
Look, things are looking okay for the Dodgers right now in terms of starting pitching, with Ohtani building up and getting in his form, Tyler Glasnow finally being back, Yoshinobu Yamamoto being one of the top pitchers in the league this year, Clayton Kershaw doing well, and Dusting May being healthy, but there have been quite the number of games where we’ve seen tons of concerns with this pitching staff.
This is an absolute must for the Dodgers. They really need to go after Seth Lugo. He had an awesome year in 2024, and he’s doing it again in 2025. He comes in with a 2.67 ERA, which might not seem that good, but his arsenal is worth noting. Offseason signings like Jeffrey Springs and Luis Severino could also be options for the Dodgers, though that is highly unlikely.
What do you think the Dodgers should do this offseason? Drop them down below!
Main Image: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
