The Los Angeles Dodgers went into the 2025 season with a hope they would not need to make significant moves at the trade deadline after an extremely busy offseason.
But that isn’t the reality they face as they approach Thursday’s deadline. A collective drop off in performance this past month has made it clear the bullpen needs an infusion due to ongoing struggles, the loss of Evan Phillips to Tommy John surgery and uncertainty surrounding Brusdar Graterol’s availability later in the year.
The Dodgers’ offense has also been stagnant as of late, while their outfield defense remains an issue.
Both are areas of need to varying degrees and could be addressed via a trade before the deadline. Dodgers manager Roberts has previously expressed confidence in the lineup to turn things around, which would make acquiring a bat less of a priority.
However, the Dodgers’ connection to Minnesota Twins outfielder Harrison Bader has been rumored to be picking up steam recently, according to Jack Harris of the L.A. Times:
That’s why it came as no surprise to see the Dodgers’ interest in someone like Harrison Bader intensify this week, as a person with knowledge of the situation but not authorized to speak publicly confirmed.
Bader would instantly upgrade the Dodgers’ outfield defense, while still providing good offensive production with his 118 wRC+ this season. It is hard to imagine a scenario where Bader takes significant playing time away from Teoscar Hernández after the Dodgers just signed him to a three-year, $66 million contract.
Thus, Bader would most likely replace Conforto in left field, who, despite his recent improvement at the plate, has been just as much of a defensive liability as Hernández.
Dodgers linked to multiple Twins players
The Dodgers could look to address multiple needs in one fell swoop with the Twins, as they have also been linked to top relievers Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax.
A package consisting of Bader and Jax is more feasible than one including Duran, but would still come with an expensive price tag. Depending on how the reliever market is set and how much Minnesota values Jax, a trade for the pair of Twins isn’t out of the realm of possibility.
Although, it is more likely that the Dodgers explore cheaper alternatives for relievers before considering this type of deal.
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