With the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline a mere four weeks away, the Los Angeles Dodgers are already being linked to some of the biggest names that could be on the move in the near future.
A recent report suggested that the Dodgers have emerged as the “clear-cut favorites” to acquire Baltimore Orioles shortstop Manny Machado, though plenty of other clubs remain firmly in the mix as well.
Machado has long been connected to Los Angeles since starting shortstop Corey Seager was lost to season-ending Tommy John surgery in May, but it isn’t clear how far along the process the Orioles are in actually trading away their franchise star.
Despite the intrigue of another potential blockbuster, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts fades out the rumors until a trade actually materializes, via Ken Gurnick of MLB.com:
“I just think it’s noise,” said Roberts. “Until something is concrete or finalized, I just don’t put too much effort or thought into it. We talk about things, we’re always talking about the club and how we upgrade and better the club. There’s always talk this time of year, and it intensifies, but personally I don’t waste too much energy on it.”
After a slow start to the season, the Dodgers have answered back with a National League-best 27-11 record since May 17. The club finds themselves 3.5 games behind the first-place Arizona Diamondbacks in the NL West, so trade speculation is only natural at this point.
Since taking the helm as Dodgers president of baseball operations at the conclusion of the 2014 season, Andrew Friedman has been one of the more active executives in all of baseball.
Last season, he swung a trade for the most coveted rental starting pitcher on the market in Yu Darvish. Friedman was patient in hammering out the deal with seconds to spare at the non-waiver deadline, so it wouldn’t be surprising if he uses that same approach again this time around.
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