On one hand, their record shows that they are the best team in the National League, a squad with three former MVPs, five 2025 All-Stars, and enough depth to suffer through a seven-game losing streak in July and still roll into the All-Star break as the team to beat on their side of the bracket.

And yet, while the Dodgers have more stars than most teams would dream of, depth across the board, and one of the best farm systems in all of baseball, that doesn’t mean the team couldn’t look to improve before the summer rolls into the fall. But where should they look?

Of the Dodgers’ eight regular starters in the field, their clear weak link has to be Michael Conforto, the former San Francisco Giants left fielder who was signed as a one-year contract to “upgrade” the left field spot but has struggled mightily to find his swing a few hours down the PCH. Conforto is only hitting .184 with eight home runs and 23 RBIs and has been struck out 72 times, which ranks fifth on the team.

Turning attention to the mound, the Dodgers entered the year with so much pitching that some fans thought they could run a six-man rotation, but that unit has been battered with injuries like few others could imagine, with Roki Sasaki and Blake Snell currently on IL, Tyler Glasnow just coming off of the list, and other pitchers like Dustin Maye struggling to take on the top of an order roughly once a week.

While earlier in the season, some fans were clamouring to see LA add another starting-caliber pitcher like World Series hero Will Buhler – you know, before he fell off a cliff – the returns of Glasnow and Shohei Ohtani to the pitching rotation have eased that concern at least somewhat.

No, if LA has one big need they should address before the trade deadline, it has to be in the bullpen, where they have struggled plenty in 2025.

Fortunately, even with players like Blake Treinen set to return in the not-too-distant future, there are interesting options worth acquiring, including Minnesota Twins closer Jhoan Durán, who could provide the team with some pop both now and for years to come.

Jhoan Durán could fix a massive Dodgers issue

When the Dodgers signed Tanner Scott to a four-year, $72 million extension after a successful stint with the San Diego Padres, it seemed like an ideal way for one of the best teams in baseball to get even better.

Acquired from the Miami Marlins in 2024 following a fantastic start to the season, Scott turned in one of the best runs of his career in San Diego, recording an ERA of just 2.73 while allowing just one regular season home run and 26 hits over 28 games.

In the playoffs, Scott was even better, appearing in five games – including four against the Dodgers – where he allowed just two hits versus seven strikeouts.

Throw that player on the Dodgers, while keeping players like Anthony Banda and Treinen, and one of the best teams in baseball would have the cherry on top of their already impressive pitching rotation, right?

On paper, yes, the only problem has been that Scott really hasn’t been that same caliber of player so far this season.

Appearing in 45 games in 2025, Scott has allowed 42 hits, 23 runs, and eight home runs versus just 49 strikeouts, contributing to a career-high seven blown saves halfway through the season.

Enter Jhoan Durán, the 27-year-old closer who throws 100 and is just entering his prime.

Originally signing with the Arizona Diamondbacks as an international free agent, Durán was traded to the Twins in 2018 in the Eduardo Escobar deal before he made his MLB debut.

Working his way up through the minor leagues, Durán made his debut in 2022 and has steadily become a more and more effective reliever with each passing year.

In 2025, Durán has arguably hit his prime, maintaining a career-best 1.66 ERA over 44 appearances while recording 15 saves, 49 strikeouts, and five wins versus just 33 hits, 10 runs, and zero homers.

While Durán could instantly slide in and become the Dodgers’ top reliever even at full strength, allowing Scott, Banda, Trienen, and Kirby Yates to form an elite bullpen for Dave Roberts to turn to, he presents long-term longevity too for a team that acquires him, as he is under team control until 2028, when he will be the same age Scott is now.

Will Durán come cheap? Nope, by all accounts if the Twins decide to trade him, it will likely cost a pretty penny, considering his high end stuff and years of team control, but the Dodgers have never been afraid to spend money and shouldn’t start to feel that way now, when they are firmly in the middle of Ohtani’s prime with a chance to compete for years to come.

As the Dodgers have learned all too well, even a perfectly constructed team can hit a wall when injuries start to happen, with the assembled depth the difference between an early flameout and a huge celebration downtown.

While the Dodgers might be able to make it back to the World Series if they can get healthy and stay healthy, why not be proactive and add one more elite arm to a bullpen that has had very little consistency so far this season in the hopes of securing the rare back-to-back title?