If spending $1 billion last offseason wasn’t proof enough, the Dodgers are committed to winning the World Series this season and plan to be very aggressive ahead of the MLB trade deadline on July 30.
ESPN’s Jeff Passon reports The Dodgers are expected to be looking to acquire the biggest roster possible by the end of the month to bolster their team for the final stretch and postseason.
Baseball insiders have speculated the Dodgers could potentially trade for Luis Robert or Randy Arozarena to bolster their outfield and bolster a lineup that’s surprisingly thin outside of Freddie Freeman and Shohei Ohtani.
Los Angeles has been plagued by numerous injuries this season, including an extended absence of outfielder-turned-shortstop Mookie Betts and a season-long shambles in the starting rotation.
In terms of strengthening the pitching staff, names that have been mentioned include White Sox pitcher Garrett Crochette and Tigers starting pitcher Jack Flaherty.
The Dodgers will finally see the return of Tyler Glasnow and Clayton Kershaw this week, but the return dates for Walker Buehler and Japanese transfer player Yoshinobu Yamamoto are still unclear.
In theory, the Dodgers should be hesitant to continue spending exorbitantly, but Ohtani’s audacious contract extension means Los Angeles isn’t even in the top five in total team payroll this season.
That added flexibility gives the Dodgers the option to acquire a player like Arozarena, who will get several raises through the arbitration process before becoming a free agent in 2027.
Los Angeles has the eighth-best pipeline of young talent, so there are plenty of prospects to trade to the team for win-now pieces. According to MLB.com:.
