The Los Angeles Dodgers did not make a major splash at the trade deadline as many fans hoped, but did complete a few deals to address roster needs.
The most notable were acquiring Brock Stewart from the Minnesota Twins for James Outman, and Alex Call from the Washington Nationals in exchange for two mid-level pitching prospects. L.A. additionally traded Dustin May and Hunter Feduccia to further improve their farm system, and also added a potential impact reliever for this season.
Instead of making a major move, the Dodgers are betting on both their current stars to turn things around, and also players who are expected to return from the injured list. Blake Snell, Max Muncy, Michael Kopech, Tanner Scott, Hyeseong Kim, Kiké Hernández and Brusdar Graterol should all return, and even if one or two don’t, the Dodgers still have the talent and depth to withstand it.
“I think we have guys on the horizon that are coming back that will obviously be a big boost to this team and feel confident that the current group, that like I said while playing well and performing, we haven’t even come close to playing our best baseball,” Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said.
“As we saw last year, what’s most important is to peak at the right time. Hit our stride in the second half and be strong going into October. Like I said, the belief in this group and what we can accomplish, is really strong. Feel great about what we can do.”
The Dodgers have already welcomed back Blake Treinen, and the offense has shown more signs of turning things around recently. Freddie Freeman, Michael Conforto, Teoscar Hernández and Tommy Edman have all seen their production tick up in the last week from where it’s been for the past month.
And it’s more likely than not those players will hit closer to their career normals than regressing back into prolonged slumps.
The reality is the Dodgers need their stars to perform as such in October, and that will determine how far this team goes into the postseason. No trade they could’ve made would have been enough to make up for those players possibly falling short.
In 2022 and 2023, Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts were both unproductive in the postseason, and the Dodgers flamed out quickly. In 2024, the Dodgers had their stars producing, and it let to a World Series title.
The Dodgers have all the talent they need to win, now it’s just about getting back on track, staying healthy and performing well in October.
Dodgers not swayed by big MLB trades
The San Diego Padres were arguably the most improved team at the trade deadline, adding Mason Miller, J.P. Sears, Ryan O’Hearn, Ramón Laureano, Freddy Fermin and Nestor Cortes. The New York Mets were also busy, trading for Ryan Helsley, Cedric Mullins, Gregory Soto and Tyler Roger, and the Philadelphia Phillies made one of the biggest moves by acquiring Johan Duran, along with Harrison Bader and Matt Manning.
The Dodgers could match up with any of those teams in the postseason, but the actions of their potential rivals did not push them into making a bigger move because of how confident they are in their talent to compete for a World Series.
“Obviously there was a lot of action today throughout the game. A lot of teams improved,” Gomes noted. “We feel really good about this group. Coming into the year, felt like this was as talented of a roster as we’ve ever had.
“We’re in first place, and I don’t even think we’ve played our best baseball yet. So as we continue to get some of our starters back and then adding these pieces and our guys playing up to our potential, still a really, really strong team and we don’t feel any differently about our aspirations than we did at the beginning of the year.”
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