With less than one week remaining until the MLB trade deadline on Aug. 3, indications continue to point toward the Los Angeles Dodgers not necessarily having an aggressive approach even amid ongoing Tarik Skubal speculation.
Manager Dave Roberts said last week he felt the team could be more of a seller at the deadline given their impending roster crunch as players start to return from the injured list.
According to Katie Woo of The Athletic, Eric Lauer and Alex Call could wind up being players traded by the Dodgers.
Left-hander Eric Lauer and outfielder Alex Call are two names the Dodgers could shop, according to multiple league sources familiar with the team’s thinking, who were granted anonymity in exchange for their candor.
Lauer joined the organization in the middle of May when he was acquired in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays. Lauer had been designated for assignment by Toronto and subsequently traded in exchange for cash considerations.
The Washington Nationals traded Call to the Dodgers at the 2025 deadline. It was largely an under-the-radar addition that went on to become of strong value for L.A.
Why would Dodgers trade Alex Call or Eric Lauer?
Lauer has been nothing short of a revelation since being added into the Dodgers’ rotation. His production has brought about needed stability as the team remained without the likes of Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow, and now don’t have Shohei Ohtani available to pitch.
Lauer is 4-0 with a 3.35 ERA, 5.45 FIP and 1.07 WHIP in eight games (seven starts) with the Dodgers. That’s in stark contrast to going 1-5 with a 6.69 ERA across eight appearances (six starts) before getting traded by Toronto.
The Dodgers could be motivated to trade Lauer due to the left-hander not necessarily projecting to factor prominently in their postseason pitching plans. Of course, that is with a dangerous assumption of strong health. Moreover, the 31-year-old is due to become a free agent after the 2026 season.
In recent years the Dodgers have traded from their starting pitching depth — Ross Stripling in 2020, Mitch White in 2022, and Dustin May in 2025 — to acquire Minor Leaguers. Addressing their farm system is thought to be a focal point for the Dodgers at the 2026 deadline.
Similarly, Call’s role moving forward appears to be minimizing with Kiké Hernández poised to get activated off the injured list Tuesday. Though one notable difference with Call is he remains under team control via arbitration for multiple seasons.
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