With the non-waiver trade deadline approaching, teams in contention for the postseason will soon begin to address their roster needs for the second-half push. And of course the other side of the coin is teams falling behind in the standings will become sellers.
With the highest payroll, a farm system rated first overall by Baseball America, and high expectations, the Dodgers figure to find themselves at the center of trade rumors. President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said the club will target ‘elite-level’ players at the deadline.
What’s more, Friedman believes the Dodgers’ depth and strong farm system will lend to them playing a significant role in trade talks. The most obvious aspect he may look to improve upon is the starting rotation.
While injuries sustained to the rotation has certainly plagued Los Angeles, inconsistent performances from healthy members of the pitching staff have not helped their cause.
The latest pitcher to go down, Clayton Kershaw, prompted the Dodgers to acquire veteran right-hander Bud Norris in a five-player deal with the Atlanta Braves last week.
Another inexpensive option the Dodgers are reportedly considering is Oakland Athletics lefty Rich Hill, according to Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball:
The Dodgers like Rich Hill and could go for him.
Heyman also notes Los Angeles was interested in signing Hill during the offseason if Brett Anderson hadn’t accepted their qualifying offer:
His old friends in Boston are logical, but know, too, that the Dodgers were ready to pounce on him had Brett Anderson not accepted the qualifying offer.
Hill, a 36-year-old journeyman who has spent time in independent baseball, is enjoying a breakout season for the Athletics this year as he’s gone 9-3 with a 2.25 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP with 90 strikeouts in 76 innings.
While Hill has performed admirably this season for a struggling Athletics team and is set to make $6 million this year, Anderson has yet to pitch in a game after undergoing back surgery in March.
With Brandon McCarthy and Hyun-Jin Ryu now in the fold, Anderson, the last of the rehabbing starters from last year’s roster, may return in mid-August.
In addition to Hill, another pitcher the Dodgers have been tied to is Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Erasmo Ramirez, but talks appear to have lost momentum following the acquisition of Norris.
Although the team has also been linked to to promising starters such as Oakland’s Sonny Gray and Atlanta’s Julio Teheran, an acquisition of that magnitude may not come to fruition given their presumed high price tags.
