Prior to the bullpen becoming a glaring need for the Los Angeles Dodgers at the trade deadline this year, they were said to also be in search of a left-handed hitting position player to bolster their bench.
At the time, the Dodgers had been connected to Ryan McMahon, who was just traded by the Colorado Rockies to the New York Yankees. Even with that factored in, looking for a left-handed bench bat seemed somewhat curious.
The Dodgers currently have Dalton Rushing as their backup catcher and Hyeseong Kim filled a bench role before mounting injuries pressed him into starting duty. Neither of whom would appear obvious candidates to be replaced, though Kim has struggled with the larger opportunity.
Meanwhile, as Michael Conforto continues to fall short of expectations, the Dodgers are exploring which outfielders may be available, according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic:
The Dodgers are scoping out the market for potential outfield upgrades, league sources told The Athletic, seeking to deepen a lineup that carried them to a World Series title last October.
The ideal would be to add a left-handed-hitting outfielder, a league source said, though adding a solid glove to deepen their position player group — such as the Minnesota Twins’ Harrison Bader — could also fit as the Dodgers seek upgrades.
Coinciding with their apparent interest in acquiring an outfielder, the Dodgers reportedly checked with the St. Louis Cardinals regarding All-Star Brendan Donovan.
Donovan has only played 18 games in left field this season but does have outfield experience throughout his career. While Donovan would not necessarily be an exact fit in terms of the Dodgers’ search for an outfielder, he could play second base and allow the team to move Tommy Edman to center field and Andy Pages over to a corner position.
Jarren Duran of the Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr. are other potential trade targets for the Dodgers.
Michael Conforto’s future with Dodgers
Given the Dodgers’ reported interest in an outfielder, Conforto’s role with the team appears to be on shaky terms. He signed with the Dodgers on a one-year, $17 million contract amid a belief he would find offensive success by working with their hitting coaches and getting away from Oracle Park.
That’s yet to pan out despite continued confidence from manager Dave Roberts, who did recently admit better results from Conforto were needed in the coming weeks.
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