It’s no secret Andrew Friedman will do anything and everything in his power to make the Los Angeles Dodgers a World Series contender on an annual basis.
There have been numerous examples in which he’s aimed to improve the ballclub prior to the trade deadline. Some instances have involved working on the fringes with minor moves. Other situations included big swings for all-star level talents.
Whether it’s unearthing a hidden gem, acquiring a reclamation project/discarded player, or landing an established one, the odds are that Friedman will yet again make a move (or more) within the next couple of months.
Most of the rumors have had L.A. associated with Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert and — to a lesser extent — St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado. Since both players have been analyzed ad nauseam, let’s look at three other potential trade targets that could be attainable and realistic for the team.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Utility Man, Pittsburgh Pirates
Kiner-Falefa would be an example of the Dodgers working on the fringes. Having said that, he does fit the archetype in what Friedman looks for in a player.
For one, Kiner-Falefa has immense positional versatility — seemingly a prerequisite for any L.A. position player. He’s currently the Pirates’ starting shortstop, though the 2020 Gold Glove winner can also play third base, second base, and the outfield.
Traditionally, Kiner-Falefa is also a guy who rarely strikes out.
Possessing this level of flexibility plus having the ability to put the ball in play seems like a perfect fit for what the Dodgers want to do, as well as being a valuable chip to use in postseason play.
Entering May 17, Kiner-Falefa is hitting a respectable .276 with a .673 OPS. He would likely be a rental given his contract is up at the end of the year. That could make him even more enticing for the Dodgers given the fact that it likely wouldn’t cost all that much to procure the 30-year-old.
At the very least, he’d provide cover for Mookie Betts, Hyeseong Kim, Max Muncy, Tommy Edman — and would be an upgrade over Chris Taylor.
Lane Thomas, Outfielder, Cleveland Guardians
Granted, this is an out-of-left-field possibility. If you squint hard enough, there could be something here.
Cleveland is notorious in not spending a ton of money. Depending on who you ask, the thought of re-signing Thomas to a multi-year deal might not sound all that appetizing from the Guardians’ standpoint.
He will be a free agent at season’s end, and if they do plan on letting him walk, it would be prudent to nab something in return for him.
This is where the Dodgers come in. L.A. is more than comfortable in taking on a rental assuming the player can help them inch closer to another World Series title.
Thomas has been out since April 22 with a bone bruise on his wrist. Whether pressing with his impending free agency coming up, or simply a stretch of poor play, Thomas has been very bad in the early part of this year. In 45 at-bats, Thomas is hitting .156 with zero home runs and two runs batted-in.
Again, we have to look at the profile of the player and see how he’d fit in with the Boys in Blue. Thomas possesses an above-average arm in centerfield. He’s one of the faster outfielders in the game, and by proxy is a very efficient base runner.
Thomas also doesn’t chase — a true staple of the Dodgers’ offensive philosophy. He ranked in the 87th percentile in this category a year ago.
Cleveland is right in the hunt for a playoff spot, and figures to be highly competitive in trying to win the AL Central.
At the same time, without Thomas, they’ve played very well. If he continues to flounder, could the Dodgers poach him with the hopes that a new situation with different instruction may unlock something in his case?
An in-form Thomas would immensely improve L.A.’s defense in center, thus enabling Tommy Edman to stay at second base where he’s best from a fielding standpoint. That would also allow for the bench to potentially get stronger with Hyeseong Kim and likely Michael Conforto making way in the lineup for Edman and Andy Pages/Teoscar Hernandez, respectively.
Gregory Soto, Left-Handed Reliever, Baltimore Orioles
The Dodgers don’t always seek bullpen help through the trade market (though acquiring Michael Kopech last year proved to be highly significant).
As Friedman has mentioned before, there’s normally a high premium put on relievers. The Dodgers also have the confidence in believing they can rehabilitate discarded pitchers and/or utilize arms from the farm system that can evolve into impact players come postseason time.
In this case, the lefty from Baltimore could be someone the team looks into. Like Kiner-Falefa and Thomas, Soto will be a free agent at year’s end. He’s a power pitcher from the left side with some intriguing underlying analytics. According to Baseball Savant, Soto ranks in the 96th percentile in barrel percentage. He also averages 96.6 mph on his fastball.
When hitters do square him up, Soto has allowed some loud contact. He’s ranks in the 10th percentile in average exit velocity by the opposition (91.5 mph). Remember, Kopech had dreadful numbers on paper when acquired from the Chicago White Sox. Needless to say, he became a major x-factor for the team down the stretch.
Anthony Banda has not looked overly impressive this year. With Tanner Scott assuming the high-leverage role, and Alex Vesia being a guy who can face both righties and lefties, Soto could be a guy pegged as a possible upgrade over Banda as the hard-throwing lefty utilized in the sixth and seventh innings (and in left-on-left situations).
Baltimore is dead-last in the uber-competitive AL East. Only the White Sox have less wins in the entire American League. As such, a fire sale could occur with the O’s sooner than later.
Soto might be the classic ‘change of scenery’ case the Dodgers fix.
