The Los Angeles Dodgers enter play on June 4 with a sizable lead in the National League West, working around some struggling pieces of their starting lineup.
A seven-game cushion over the second place San Diego Padres has allowed the Dodgers to absorb the lack of production from their lower-third in the batting order. A collection of Miguel Rojas, Andy Pages, Jason Heyward, Kiké Hernández, Gavin Lux, James Outman, Austin Barnes and Chris Taylor, make up one of the worst groups in Major League Baseball.
Their collective performance ranks as the third-worst group in the NL, and a bottom five unit in all of baseball.
The Dodgers will continue to evaluate their internal options, but they may also go to the trade market in hopes of bolstering the depth of the lineup, per Bob Nightengale USA Today:
The Dodgers will be looking for some offensive help to aid the bottom of their lineup, which has been one of the worst in baseball.
Rojas is the lone exception, with him posting the only wRC+ (121) that ranks above league average. Pages has picked up his play as of late, and Heyward is showing signs of being a serviceable platoon option.
But Lux, Taylor, Hernández and Outman, who has since been optioned to Triple-A, haven’t provided the Dodgers with enough to instill confidence overall.
Depth concerns with their bench prompted the promotion of Miguel Vargas, who has flashed positive signs in limited time. Taylor being one of the worst hitters in MLB has created quite the issue because of his contract, making him a dead weight player until a turnaround comes.
Hernández is also in the same boat, and could perhaps be a candidate to be designated for assignment. Although unlikely, his contract is worth less than $3 million for the remainder of the season, and he has batted just .154/.254/.269 in 52 at-bats during the month of May.
Who could the Dodgers target for their outfield
Looking at the Detroit Tigers, the Dodgers would be wise to target Mark Canha if they wanted to acquire a versatile, right-handed bat. The 35-year-old is in the final year of his contract, but carries a decent price tag for half a season.
If brought in at the deadline, he would be owed a shade over $5 million. Canha has logged time at DH, right field, left field and first base.
His 115 wRC+ is from a 220 plate appearance sample size, posting a 141 wRC+ against left-handed pitching.
Tommy Pham of the Chicago White Sox could be in the conversation again, with the 36-year-old being on the radar of current star Mookie Betts for over a year. Pham is batting .280/.331/.733 this season, playing the majority of his time in center field.
Pham is a polarizing name because of his fiery attitude, but was terrific in the postseason for the Arizona Diamondbacks as they went to the World Series, where he batted .421/.429/.737 with four extra base hits over five games.
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
