The Los Angeles Dodgers stayed relatively quiet at the MLB trade deadline this season, especially when compared to the San Diego Padres and other contenders around the league.
The Dodgers’ strategy at the deadline reflected the unique way they conduct business as an organization, addressing needs in the present while also continuing to build toward the future.
They managed to come out the other side of the trade deadline with a net increase in terms of prospects gained despite trading for Alex Call and Brock Stewart. Not only did the Dodgers acquire Call and Stewart for minimal cost, they also added prospects with real upside, such as Adam Serwinowski.
The Dodgers were able to maintain their approach at the time because of the talent they stood to gain later in the season when the likes of Tanner Scott, Michael Kopech and Blake Snell returned from the injured list.
Manager Dave Roberts believes welcoming injured players back will have the same impact as if the Dodgers had completed a significant trade deadline deal.
“Absolutely. I mean, you talk about Scott, Yates, you can add Muncy to that list, and those are kind of deadline trades in themselves,” he said. “So we’re getting healthier.
“I do appreciate the guys that have been here, kind of grinding through until we get whole, but it’s nice looking on the horizon, seeing the guys that we got coming.”
Roberts also added that influenced the Dodgers’ decision making at the trade deadline when it came to not making a move for any of the big names on the market.
“Yeah, I think if you put it in totality, the guys that we have coming back, what you have to give up on the prospect capital side of things, yeah, that was sort of the bet,” he said.
“You’re betting on Tanner, Kirby, Kopech coming back, Tommy coming back, Kiké coming back. So yeah, and obviously, Muncy was healthy at that point in time. But yeah, that’s kind of the thought.”
Dodgers reuse trade deadline strategy from 2024
The Dodgers found themselves in a similar position last season, with a large amount of talent on their injured list at the time of the trade deadline.
Among the many players out at the time were Mookie Betts and Max Muncy, who were rehabbing from serious injuries.
The team’s 2024 trade deadline haul consisted of Tommy Edman, Jack Flaherty and Kopech, a much less aggressive strategy than many had hoped for.
Even at the time, these acquisitions carried a lot more name recognition compared to the Dodgers’ moves in 2025. But they were still under-the-radar type deals.
Flaherty was the biggest starting pitcher traded at the deadline, but the Dodgers managed to avoid paying a premium for him. Edman was a well-established Major Leaguer prior to joining the Dodgers, but had yet to play a game that season.
Kopech was a former top prospect, but he had failed as a starter and didn’t have eye-catching numbers as a reliever with the White Sox that season.
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