Editorials

DN Mailbag: Possible Trades, Starting Rotation Options, & More

This week’s Dodgers Nation mailbag answers questions about possible trade scenarios, starting rotation concerns, and whether or not we should trust the Dodgers to win it all this year. Enjoy!

Trading deadline time is always fun. Speculating on what upgrades your team should or shouldn’t make, hypothesizing about possible trade scenarios, and debating which prospects are untouchable always makes for good discussion.



For example…

@TC_Hughes asks:

Joc, Alvarez, Calhoun, Dayton, and Diaz (or Lux) for McCutchen and Rivero. Thoughts?

First thing to ask is whether the Pirates are going to be sellers at the deadline after all. They’ve won five straight and 11 of 13, bringing them within 3 games of first in the NL Central.

Assuming they’re still willing to sell, your offer is actually fairly reasonable, although it still may be a little light for Pittsburgh’s liking. McCutchen alone would cost a couple of good prospects, and with Austin Meadows waiting in the wings, I’m not sure the Pirates would be all too interested in Pederson.

But it’s Rivero that makes this trade more unlikely. The Pirates would have to be blown away by an offer to let him go at this point. Could the Dodgers make that type of offer? Sure. Will they? Not so sure.

A more realistic option might be a package that includes Tony Watson, who is nowhere near Rivero’s level, but could still be a serviceable LH reliever.

With all that said, to answer your question; would I make the above trade if I were the Dodgers? Yeah, probably.

@GJOH29 asks:

What are the odds of the Dodgers getting Yu Darvish?

I wouldn’t count them out, but it really depends on the Rangers asking price. Darvish, who will be a free agent at the end of the year, would provide the Dodgers with another top-tier starter and bolster a staff that already includes Clayton Kershaw, Alex Wood, and Rich Hill.

Although Darvish would be a rental, that could actually be more appealing to teams since they know the asking price should be well lower than acquiring any pitcher who’s under contract for a while (Sonny Gray, Gerrit Cole, ect.) Nonetheless, Texas will still want a good return.

I would put the Dodgers on a short list of possible teams that could add Darvish.

Lots of starting rotation questions, which I’m sure had nothing to do with Brandon McCarthy’s poor outing last night. Or maybe it did…

@LADoyers88 asks:

Do you think we can make a run with McCarthy? Who might be a good fit without giving up multiple top prospects?

After struggling again in last night’s start, questions about McCarthy’s health and/or consistency, will surely increase. I do think he probably pitched over his head a bit early in the year when he was having a lot of success, and it was only a matter of time until he regressed a little. And regressed, he has.

But still, McCarthy has shown that he can be effective at times and I wouldn’t be too quick to dismiss his ability. Now, with that said, do I want him starting a possible Game 4 in the playoffs? I’m not too sure yet. Ask me again in a few weeks.

To answer the 2nd part of your question, I’d say “no one.” I say that because if the Dodgers are going to get a “good fit” they’re almost certainly going to have to give up multiple good prospects.

From @Malachi_Garcia

Do you think it’s time we address the need for a #4 or #5? Maybe a #3?

Absolutely not. The Dodgers have enough #4/5 type starters already. With McCarhty, Maeda, and Ryu the back-end of the rotation is filled to the brim. There’s no need to add another starter of that caliber. Also, Rich Hill is a fine option to have as a #3. If the Dodgers are going to add to their rotation, they’ll likely go big (think Yu Darvish, Sonny Gray, or dare I say… Chris Archer?)

Additionally, I believe there are other in-house options the Dodgers could pursue to incrementally improve the rotation if needed. Speaking of which…

@dodgerdudel asks:

Would you try bringing Brock Stewart into the rotation?

Thank you for asking this @dodgerdudel. Yes, yes, and yes. I’ve been advocating this idea since Stewart made his return a while back. The Dodgers are currently “easing” Stewart back after a long absence from injury earlier this year, but there’s no doubt they see him as a starter eventually.

The problem (if you want to call it that) is the aforementioned log-jam at the back-end of the rotation. With all the starting pitching options currently available, it’s really hard to give Stewart that opportunity. They already have to play 10-day DL tag in order to get their current rotation guys regular starts.

Stewart has more upside than any of the current options, and we saw flashes of his ability last year. After his first two major-league starts were a little rough (one being in Coors field) Stewart finished the year strong, posting a 1.89 ERA over his final 19 innings.

Although I think he could give the Dodgers’ rotation a boost, and perhaps alleviate any need for a starting pitcher acquisition, I’m not convinced the Dodgers agree with me. At least not yet.

@imdannynovero asks:

What was the Dodgers best 35 game stretch during that 2013 42-8 run?

30-5. That’s one game less than this 2017 team’s recent 31-4 run. There’s been lots of talk lately comparing the current Dodgers success to that incredible 50 game span in 2013. Both teams’ streaks were very impressive and this 2017 club, of course, isn’t done yet. Stay tuned.

@btaylor402

Why should we have faith that this is the Dodgers year to win it all?

First off, who said I have faith? Kidding, obviously, but you bring up a good point. There really is no way to ensure anything when it comes to playoff baseball. The Dodgers could acquire Zach Britton, Yu Darvish, and go on to win 120 games this year. Won’t matter come October. This isn’t the NBA playoffs, where you can pretty much pencil in the best teams all the way to the Finals. Once the post season begins, the regular season goes out the window.

With that said, I do like the Dodgers chances this year, even more so than in years past. They really don’t have many weaknesses on their team, and are probably only going to get better with any deadline moves. Again, there are no guarantees, but going into the playoffs with the best team is all you can do. And the Dodgers will likely do that.

Brian Robitaille

Originally from Southern California, and currently stationed in Northern Virginia, Brian is a devoted Dodgers fan, and has been since he was a kid. He's an Active Duty member of the U.S Air Force, and has been serving for the last 16 years. While he loves all things sports related, and supports all his teams (Lakers, Steelers, L.A Kings, & USC) his true passion is the Dodgers, and loves writing about the boys in blue.

3 Comments

  1. It’s times like this, that I appreciate having Andrew Friedman running the show. In previous seasons, I have seen other teams trade their top prospects for little in return, especially in terms of changing their playoff results. The Dodgers have been good for the last 4 regular seasons because they held onto their top prospects, who are now contributing to the team’s success. Advancing to, and winning the World Series is a crap shoot, even with the best roster in baseball, and only gives fans a fleeting moment of glory. Winning in the regular season gives the fans a spring, summer and fall of great baseball.
    I agree with putting Stewart in the starting rotation and seeing what they get.

    1. Agree 100% about the prospects. Holding onto them has worked out thus far and a big reason for teams who contend year after year. Hope Stewart gets his shot at some point. Thanks for reading!

  2. I don’t understand why the Dodgers would want to make a trade at all.
    They have the best record in baseball and why tamper with a winning team.
    Just let the Dodger players play and I’m more than willing to take my chances on the team that they have.

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