After filling their need for a right-handed bat with the acquisitions of Kiké Hernández and Amed Rosario, the Los Angeles Dodgers turned their attention to bolstering their pitching staff ahead of the MLB trade deadline on August 1.
The Dodgers completed a trade with the Chicago White Sox for Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly, which improved the starting rotation and bullpen in one fell swoop.
Lynn, despite his struggles this season, was highly coveted as several other contenders showed interest in acquiring him. The Dodgers seemingly pivoted to the 36-year-old after the White Sox traded Lucas Giolito to the Los Angeles Angels.
According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Dodgers made a strong effort to acquire Giolito before he was traded to the Angels:
Many teams bid on Lucas Giolito, and the Dodgers made a competitive offer to the crosstown Angels’ winning bid on the L.A. product.
The price to acquire Giolito was steep as the Angels parted with two of their three top prospects in Ky Bush and Edgar Quero.
Along with their desire to add another starter, the Dodgers are believed to be in the market for a relief pitcher. They reportedly were among the teams interested in St. Louis Cardinals reliever Jordan Hicks before he was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays, via Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic:
The Dodgers, along with the Diamondbacks, were among the clubs involved in talks for Hicks before the hard-throwing reliever was traded from St. Louis to Toronto on Sunday, according to a league source. The Astros also showed interest, according to The Athletic’s Chandler Rome.
With Giolito and Hicks off the board, the Dodgers will continue seeking pitching reinforcements on deadline day. The team has been connected to Justin Verlander, Eduardo Rodriguez, Jack Flaherty and Mitch Keller as they look to add one more starter.
The relief market is a little less certain, but L.A. figures to address their bullpen with at least one more move as well.
Dodgers’ top trade deadline targets
With just under six hours before the trade deadline, the Dodgers’ top targets reportedly are Verlander, Rodriguez and Mitch Keller.
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