Editorials

2014 Trade Deadline: Three Potential Moves Dodgers May Pursue

[new_royalslider id=”131″] With two weeks until the July 31 trade deadline, the Los Angeles Dodgers are sure to be mentioned in plenty of rumors because of their title aspirations, rich farm system and deep pockets.

General manager Ned Colletti is known for his moves around the deadline. Last July, he made three separate deals for starter Ricky Nolasco, reliever Carlos Marmol and catcher Drew Butera.



This season, the Dodgers ended the first half leading the entire National League and one game ahead of the San Francisco Giants in the NL West. They will definitely be in the mix for a few needs and could strike a deal for the stretch run.

Here are three moves that Colletti and the Dodgers could make before the deadline:

1. Relief pitcher

Considered a strength heading into the season, the bullpen has been a bit of a disappointment, especially setup man Brian Wilson. The Dodgers currently rank 12th in the NL with a 3.74 bullpen ERA and are tied for the fourth-most losses. Wilson, Chris Perez, Paul Maholm, Jamey Wright and even Kenley Jansen have all had their miscues in the first half. Brandon League and J.P. Howell have been the most consistent arms in the later innings.

What can the Dodgers do?

Well, they have already been mentioned as a team in pursuit of the Philadelphia Phillies’ Jonathan Papelbon. The 33-year-old has a 1.21 ERA with 22 saves this season and would still be owed $26 million over the next two seasons. A follow up report said the team has no interest, but rumors circulate daily around the deadline. Also on the market could be the San Diego Padres’ Huston Street and Joaquin Benoit, the Texas Rangers’ Joakim Soria, the Boston Red Sox’ Koji Uehara and others.

The Dodgers have trusted their guys thus far and could expect turnarounds from Wilson and Perez. In the minors, they have left-hander Paco Rodriguez and right-hander Jose Dominguez.

If the front office decides to make a move, this will be the most likely scenario. If they can get a strong piece to add without having to give up one of their top prospects, expect Don Mattingly to have a new arm in the bullpen come August.

2. Starting Pitcher

While most teams would love to have the rotation that the Dodgers have, they are an injury away from having Paul Maholm and/or a minor leaguer pitching every fifth day. Josh Beckett is currently on the disabled list and could be out through July. Dan Haren has struggled as of late, leaving some fans clamoring for a move to be made.

What can the Dodgers do?

It was said that the team had inquired about Chicago Cubs’ starter Jeff Samardzija before he was traded to the Oakland Athletics. The Dodgers have long been rumored to be in the running for David Price of the Tampa Bay Rays, and most recently Cole Hamels from the Phillies. Both of those pitchers would require parting with at least two of the team’s top prospects, a move that the front office may not want to make. Some of the smaller names that could be available include Bartolo Colon of the New York Mets, Jake Peavy of the Red Sox and Ian Kennedy of the Padres.

With the core four of Beckett, Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke and Hyun-Jin Ryu, the team is set up for a playoff series; however, a backup plan in case of injury could prompt Colletti to grab another starter.

A move for a starting pitcher would have to be a smart deal, as the team would be improving an area of strength rather than filling a necessity.

3. Trading An Outfielder

Once Carl Crawford returned from injury, the Dodgers were once again stuck with the dilemma of having too many outfielders for only three spots. It has been reported that all outfielders minus Yasiel Puig are available and a trade could alleviate the crowded situation.

What can the Dodgers do?

The Dodgers currently have Puig in right, Andre Ethier and Scott Van Slyke in center, and Matt Kemp in left with Crawford joining the mix. While none of the four are having a particularly great season, all four could provide value to a team in need of an outfielder. With the injuries that have occurred in the past two seasons, the team could decide to keep the outfielders and make it work.

The Seattle Mariners are one team that has been looking for offense and could call on one of the outfielders. Ethier has been a name that many believe would be gone first; however, Kemp could bring back the most value.

With the Dodgers being in control of any potential trade, they will hold out until they are overwhelmed by a deal and will likely move on with the entire crew.

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Vincent Samperio

Vince is currently the Associate Editor and Social Media Manager for Dodgers Nation. Hailing from San Pedro, CA and a student at Cal State Long Beach, Vince has previously written for the Daily 49er and LASF Magazine.

5 Comments

  1. I would trade Either, Pederson, Lee, & Reed for David Price & Zobrist. Then move Chris Perez & another pitching prospect ranked in boron half of top 20 prospects to Philly for Papelbon. This way we keep our top 2 prospects, yet improve our team across the board.

  2. I would think seriously of trading Kemp. Again today I read he has let the Dodgers know he wants to play more and if not, he wants to be traded. I say trade him already. His defense is pretty strong, but he does strike out a lot. If he doesn’t want to be a Dodger, I say let him go. Also, I think Wilson should go. Brandon League still scares me each time they put him in, but he seems to be doing much better than last season…..thank goodness! Other than that, if we can just stay healthy and our pitchers stay strong, and our bats warm up a little more, I think we should be playing in October and be contenders. Go Blue!!!!

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