Although the Los Angeles Dodgers’ five-game winning streak and 10-game home winning streak came to an end Tuesday night, the club has been much improved over recent weeks. Their sustained play has helped keep pace with the streaking San Francisco Giants, who hold a five-game lead in the National League West.
With the non-waiver trade deadline less than one month away, speculation as to which teams will become sellers and who will be available continues to mount. One team already pegged to sell is the New York Yankees.
Their vaunted group of late-inning relievers hasn’t done much to boost their record, and it’s believed Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller might wind up on the trading block. It was reported the Yankees told Miller he will not be moved, while others say he’s being shopped.
In the event New York looks to trade Miller, which would hardly come as a surprise, an unnamed Dodgers player told Andy McCullough of the LA Times he hopes the Chicago Cubs or Giants wouldn’t acquire the left-handed Miller:
“We can’t let the Giants or the Cubs get him,” said a Dodgers player who didn’t want to be identified offering advice to management.
The Dodgers had a trade in place during the offseason to acquire Chapman from the Cincinnati Reds, only for it to come undone amid a report surfacing that detailed his involvement in an alleged domestic violence incident.
Los Angeles was previously linked to Miller when he was a free agent, and again after their trade for Chapman fell through. The Dodgers’ bullpen has righted the ship after a rocky start to the season and owns a 2.95 ERA that leads the National League and ranks second in the Majors.
In 36 games this season (36.2 innings) Miller has a 1.47 ERA, 1.91 FIP and 0.68 WHIP with 66 strikeouts and just five walks. Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said the club’s focus will be on trading for ‘elite-level players’ at the trade deadline.
