Biggest Need: Starting Pitching Depth
The Dodgers arguably don’t need to do anything other than get healthy.
However, while both Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow should be back sometime in August, neither one is exactly renowned for his ability to avoid the IL. And with neither Emmet Sheehan (4.91 ERA, 4.59 FIP) nor Roki Sasaki (5.33 ERA, 5.60 FIP) even remotely thriving as regulars in this year’s rotation, adding a “could start in October” arm to the depth chart will likely be the Dodgers’ approach to the deadline.
Realistic Trade: Los Angeles Dodgers acquire LHP Trevor Rogers from Baltimore Orioles for LHP Jackson Ferris and OF/1B Ryan Ward
If the Tigers end up making Tarik Skubal available, it’ll probably be the Dodgers acquiring him. Their farm system is loaded and they could part with two marquee prospects for the opportunity to do something historic with a three-peat. But Detroit has been hot lately and has gotten back to within striking distance in both the AL wild card and AL Central races. The jury is very much out on whether the Tigers will be selling.
The Orioles are more so trending in that direction as of late, and they have their own impending free agent southpaw to offer the Dodgers.
Rogers went through quite the rough patch from mid-April through the end of May, making seven starts with a 10.01 ERA and a two-week stint on the IL in the middle of that skid.
Temporarily disregard that stretch, though, and instead combine his first three starts, his last six starts and the 18 starts he made last season and Rogers has a 1.81 ERA across those 27 appearances. He could be a real factor for the Dodgers in October, even if both Snell and Glasnow return to stay.