Dodgers Rumors: MLB Insider Believes LA Will Have Underwhelming Trade Deadline
The MLB trade deadline is just around the corner, and some teams around the league will be manning the phones in an attempt to make a deal that they hope will make them true contenders come October. Others will be playing the long game and sell off their stars in an attempt to grow for the future.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are definitely part of the former as the August 1st deadline approaches.
They’ve won 11 out of their last 15 games to jump into first place in the NL West, and rumors are circulating that LA will try to add Angels two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani before the deadline.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale believes that the Dodgers will stay away from making that big splash though, instead saying that they’ll take a more patient approach.
“Sure, they will come away with a veteran starter, and some bullpen help too, but they’re gearing up for Ohtani to be an integral part of 2024 and the rest of the decade, while still hanging onto their top prospects.”
via Bob Nightengale, USA Today
If there’s one thing the Dodgers need at the deadline, it’d be a starting pitcher to shore up their rotation depth. The team’s been hampered by the injury bug in 2023, and with Clayton Kershaw out for the foreseeable future with shoulder soreness, bringing a reliable rotation arm will and should be the top priority.
And Lucas Giolito of the Chicago White Sox is a candidate to find himself in Dodger blue come August, so the team is looking over their options as far as that’s concerned.
And even though the Dodgers may not make earth-shattering news at the deadline, that’s the smarter approach in my opinion.
LA has more pressing needs on their roster — namely in the rotation and the middle infield — and they don’t need Ohtani to contend this season, as great a player as the Angels’ unicorn is.
Also, the star will be a free agent at the end of this season, so it’d be a significant risk to give up what’s sure to be a historic haul if the Angels were to deal him.
Ohtani can have his pick of suitors when he reaches free agency, but the Dodgers are well positioned to earn his signature — and are considered the favorites to do so at the moment.
The chance to acquire arguably the most talented player in MLB history without giving up anyone in return is, in a way, priceless. And I believe LA should go all-in on their pursuit of Ohtani this winter. That’d be the proper way to maximize the talent level across the entire organization.
Photo Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
