The Los Angeles Dodgers have their sights set on adding a starting pitcher prior to the Aug. 1 trade deadline at 3 p.m. PT, and they entered the day with Justin Verlnader and Eduardo Rodriguez reportedly at the top of their wish list.
Verlander was traded to the Houston Astros for a pair of hitting prospects, which had the Dodgers shifting toward Rodriguez. However, there was a hurdle to overcome as Rodriguez has the Dodgers as one of the 10 teams on his no-trade clause.
That appears to be a significant issue as the Dodgers had a deal in place with the Detroit Tigers to acquire the southpaw, but he invoked his no-trade clause to veto the deal, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN:
The Los Angeles Dodgers and Detroit Tigers had a trade in place for left-handed starter Eduardo Rodriguez, but Rodriguez invoked his 10-team no-trade clause that included the Dodgers and the deal is now dead, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 1, 2023
Although players with no-trade clauses generally waive them in exchange for compensation, Rodriguez decided not joining L.A. would be the best move for him. Lance Lynn also had a no-trade clause with the Dodgers included on it, but decided to waive it for the chance to pitch for a contender.
The 30-year-old has gone 6-5 with a 2.95 ERA, 3.18 FIP and 1.03 WHIP in 15 starts this season and he is widely considered the most impactful starter still available at the deadline.
The Dodgers appear to have a preference of acquiring a starter who is under team control beyond the 2023 season. Rodriguez would have potentially fit that, but he does have the ability to opt out of his contract this winter.
Potential starting pitcher targets for Dodgers
It remains to be seen what the Dodgers will do next, if anything, but time is running out to add an impact starter. Among the potential available options include Mitch Keller of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Dylan Cease of the Chicago White Sox, but both are expected to have significantly high costs, which may likely lead to them staying with their respective clubs.
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