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Rather unsurprisingly, the Los Angeles Dodgers have a strong lead in the NL West standings and are among the best teams in Major League Baseball as the calendar approaches June. What is somewhat of a shock is that the Dodgers will almost certainly need to make a trade or two if they want to put themselves in the best position to win a title in October.
Even after an unprecedented spending spree last offseason, the Dodgers have holes in their roster. With the way they've spent and struck deals over the years, virtually any player who isn’t seen as “untouchable” will probably be linked to LA at some point over the next two months.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic got into specifics on Tuesday, sharing a few names expected to be on the trade market that the Dodgers might be interested in. Focusing on adding support to the back end of the bullpen and a middling LA outfield, several players could fit the Dodgers' needs.
Kenley Jansen is perhaps the most intriguing name mentioned. The former Dodgers closer is in his second year with the Boston Red Sox and is a free agent at the end of the season. The Red Sox will likely trade him with no plans for Jansen to remain in Boston beyond 2024.
Jansen recently said he is “immune” to trade rumors at this point. He understands that it's a business and if the Red Sox feel they can get some decent prospects for Jansen, they'll make the move.
Jansen has a 1-1 record with a 3.06 ERA and nine saves in 18 relief appearances this season. He spent the first 11 years of his MLB career with the Dodgers, leaving after the 2021 season as the franchise’s all-time saves leader.
The Dodgers bullpen ranks third in ERA despite missing several key arms to injury. They expect closer Evan Phillips to return soon after he began a rehab assignment on May 26.
Dodgers in dire need of outfield help
The Dodgers made several gambles by moving Mookie Betts to shortstop. It was a risk putting an All-Star player out of position and there was a possibility of losing production from the outfield.
While the move hasn’t hurt Betts' offensive numbers, LA is getting minimal contributions from two-thirds of its outfield. The Teoscar Hernandez signing has paid off as he's collected a hit in nine of his last 10 games and leads the team with 38 RBIs. His .823 OPS is above his career average and he's on pace to hit a career-high 35 home runs.
Outside of that, the Dodgers have not seen enough from Jason Heyward, James Outman and Andy Pages, among others. LA ranks 25th in outfield OPS.
There are typically multiple veteran outfielders up for grabs in July. Tommy Pham is among that group this summer and will in all likelihood be traded by the Chicago White Sox.
Remaining unsigned until April 16, Pham has been one of Chicago's best players since his first game on April 26. He's hitting over .300 with an OPS flirting with .800.
Getting traded would be nothing new for Pham. The 11-year veteran was dealt before the deadline in 2022 and 2023. It would not come as a shock to see him in a sixth different uniform since the start of the 2022 season before August.
There are people in the Dodgers organization who like Pham and would welcome him to the team, per Rosenthal.
LA unlikely to trade for shortstop
It appears to be a long shot that the Dodgers will trade for a starting shortstop, considering there isn’t much available on the trade market. The team also feels content with keeping Betts at the position, though they could be forced to utilize his versatility again if other players don’t improve their numbers.
The struggling Blue Jays might be enticed to move Bo Bichette if they can’t get back into playoff contention. Bichette has another year of control which would make him more costly in a trade. The Dodgers may not see Bichette fit into the plans for 2025, although they have traded for premier infielders on short contracts in the past (Manny Machado in 2018 and Trea Turner in 2021).
President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman will undoubtedly be working the phones over the next two months trying to gauge the market. If the Dodgers come out of the trade deadline looking better than they are now, there's a good chance they cement themselves as the team to beat in the National League.
