The trade deadline is still a little over two months away (July 31 at 3 PM PST), but it’s likely that the Dodgers are already keeping their eyes and ears open for potential additions, especially given the current state of the pitching staff.
The market has yet to fully materialize, but the Dodgers might have to take anyone they can get, and they’ll have to be thinking about who they would give up in return.
3 Dodgers players who could be on the trade block ahead of busy deadline
Dalton Rushing
It would take a lot for the Dodgers to deal Rushing, their No. 1 prospect until he graduates to fully-fledged rookie status, but if the rotation is still bent out of shape by the deadline and a non-contender puts a competitive starter on the market, maybe the Dodgers could be more agreeable.
It does seem like Rushing is here to stay for a while, given the Dodgers’ release of Austin Barnes and their overall hesitance to deal Rushing (they declined to include him in Garrett Crochet talks last year, and at the moment there doesn’t seem to be a starter of Crochet’s caliber on the trade block).
However, Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki’s prognoses don’t look great, and if they’re not ready to take on October action, the Dodgers will have to do whatever they can to secure at least one more starter at the deadline.
Landon Knack
Knack seems like the most compelling trade option between the Dodgers’ interim starters (Knack, Justin Wrobleski, and Bobby Miller).
He has a 5.22 ERA this year, but has leveled out a bit in May (4.35 ERA), and he’s remained in the majors for longer stretches than either Wrobleski or Miller. His early postseason experience and years of team control could also be enticing to a buying team.
Like Rushing, Knack getting traded seems contingent on the state of the pitching staff by late July, but even if the bullpen is still missing some key pieces (they’re currently missing five including Michael Kopech, Kirby Yates, and Blake Treinen), he could be traded for a high-leverage reliever.
Luis García
García was a surprising breakout from spring training, having signed with the Dodgers on a minor-league deal in the offseason, and he’s been decent out of the Dodgers’ pen so far this season (4.13 ERA across 24 innings).
His major league experience dates back to 2013 and he’s still inducing ground balls at an elite level.
There’s a chance that García wouldn’t survive a roster crush when Kopech, Yates, Treinen, Brusdar Graterol, and Evan Phillips all eventually come back from the IL, but if the Dodgers are still missing quite that many relievers by the deadline, they could package García up with a prospect and upgrade.
