The biggest question facing the Los Angeles Dodgers ahead of this year’s trade deadline may appear to be whether they will trade for two-time American League Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal. Given the Detroit Tigers’ dismal slide in the AL Central, Skubal’s pending free agency, LA’s deep farm system and the fact that this is the Dodgers we’re talking about, all of this speculation is actually plausible.

But is that really the path Andrew Friedman and Co. will ponder over the next five weeks? Similar to their thinking last offseason, the Dodgers will add to their roster only if it greatly increases their chances of winning their third straight World Series. That’s a high bar. Los Angeles has the best record in baseball. Ahead of their 4-2 win over the San Diego Padres on Sunday, the Dodgers’ rotation had the second-lowest ERA in baseball (3.27) and the third-most strikeouts in the National League (447). Their offense leads the majors with a .786 OPS and has hit the third-most home runs (113).

Friedman will also be wary of moves that could impede the team’s next core of homegrown players. The Dodgers aren’t just striving for another title. They’re trying to ensure their dynasty runs much longer than that.

The Dodgers have one of MLB’s top farm systems, including an abundance of promising outfield prospects they could easily deal from should they want to swing big. But traditionally, Friedman’s operations at the deadline are far more modest than his mega-moves in the offseason.

What will the Dodgers do before the Aug. 3 trade deadline? As they’ve proved over the last few years, we can’t really count them out of anything — and the allure of a three-peat remains their driving force. Still, given the state of their roster and the slew of impact players slated to return in the second half, could Los Angeles also justify being less aggressive and focus on improving their organizational depth? It’s a possibility — and according to multiple sources familiar with the team’s early thinking, who were given anonymity in exchange for their candor, it’s the likelier route.

Record: 54-30

Record this time last season: 52-32

Standing: 1st in National League West

Playoff odds: 100 percent (FanGraphs), 99.9 percent (Baseball Reference)

If the season ended today: No 1 seed in the National League, best overall record in baseball

Biggest series between now and the deadline: Will play the Phillies for three games at Citizens Bank Park in a rematch of last year’s NLDS. Series begins July 20.

Current needs: Key players must get healthy. Teoscar Hernández will be activated off the injured list ahead of Monday’s game against the Athletics. Will Smith and Evan Phillips should be back within the next couple of weeks as well. And Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Edwin Díaz and Kiké Hernández should all return from the IL in the earlier portion of the second half, which will improve the Dodgers’ roster more than any potential deadline acquisition not named Skubal.

Major-league execs love to speak in cliches (more than usual) this time of year, and it’s not uncommon for a general manager to say getting an injured player back before the deadline is like making a trade. That might elicit eye rolls from a fan base, but in the case of the Dodgers, it’s a fair assessment.

History says: Improve on the margins. Friedman isn’t usually one to swing big during the deadline (that order of operations is reserved for the offseason). In a perfect world, Friedman would avoid buying at all. But if the Dodgers are looking to add, expect it to be someone who can add depth and flexibility without depleting the farm system, such as when they traded for Tommy Edman in 2024 or Alex Call in 2025. These are usually the types of deadline deals Friedman prefers, unless an obvious need pops up between now and Aug. 3.

What will determine what they do: The Dodgers front office has an oft-used phrase to describe its process. The Dodgers will “hang around the backboard” like opportunistic rebounders and wait for the market to dictate their order of operations. Los Angeles has the advantage, and Friedman is one of the industry’s best at waiting out his competition. With no dire need and so many highly touted prospects within the organization, the Dodgers can let the market play out and pounce if an opportunity arises.

What should they do: For the back-to-back champs, what matters most is ensuring they have as much versatility as possible as they aim for another deep October run. The Dodgers don’t need to unload their farm system to be World Series favorites — they already are, especially when factoring in several second-half returns. Still, they are loaded when it comes to outfield prospects. Trading one or two to land an impact player — either for now or for the future — could help address a need while alleviating a jam.