We are now just a few days away from the 2021 trade deadline. All deals will be conducted before this Friday at 4:00 pm Eastern time. The Dodgers and Giants both possess the best records across the Major Leagues as this year’s deadline approaches.
Surely both teams will look to add pieces before the deadline, as they make their respective playoff pushes. However, they will both also meet for their second series in two weeks, which might have implications on the division race.
Tuesday night the Dodgers and Giants will begin a crucial three-game series in San Francisco. Only two games separate the two rivals in the standings with the Giants in first place. They’ve met 13 times so far this season with the Dodgers taking seven meetings.
Most recently, they concluded a four game series at Dodger Stadium, with the Giants taking three out of four after several ninth-inning meltdowns by the Dodgers.
Over the last few weeks, both clubs have been involved in trade rumors. The Dodgers reportedly have shown interest in Twins right handed starter José Berrios, and the Giants have looked at Marlins outfielder Starling Marte. The Dodgers are currently down to a few starting pitchers and several converted relivers, so it is important they get some depth at this deadline.
The Dodgers will also look to get several star players back from injury in the near future such as Mookie Betts, Corey Seager and Clayton Kershaw.
Pitching matchups for the three day series in the Bay stand as Julio Urias vs Logan Webb, Walker Buehler vs Anthony DeSclafani, and David Price vs Johnny Cueto.
The two sides won’t meet again until September, so this will be quite a crucial series. After the Giants, the Dodgers will play the Diamondbacks and then gear up for interleague play against the Astros and the Angels.
Ultimately, the Dodgers will probably pull off some kind of deal before the trade deadline. But on what level remains to be seen. It has been reported the Dodgers won’t include catching prospect Keibert Ruiz in any deal with a player who’s a free agent this off-season.
Personally for me, Ruiz is on the untouchables list, as he is still quite very young. In the small sample size we’ve seen so far, he has impressed.
Other reports have linked to the Dodgers perhaps being open to trading Gavin Lux or other prospects in the farm system. Another option could be trading for veteran right hander Max Scherzer, but we will have to wait and see what Andrew Friedman is willing to sacrifice to improve his club.
First pitch for Tuesday’s opener will be at 6:45 p.m. Pacific.
Lux is 23 so he has time to improve. If he has value in the trade market I would trade him especially if the Dodgers plan to sign Seager to a multi-year deal. I would not trade Ruiz unless they get an incredible return.
The Dodgers have had a tsunami of injuries and are only 2 back. There is a lot of the season left and as this article states, they should be getting Seager and Kershaw back soon. There is also speculation Knebel may be coming back.
I would either trade for a real difference-maker like a Berrios or not make a deal as an inning eater with a close to 4 ERA could be Gray, Nelson, or others on the Farm.
Frankly, unless they can make a very good deal I would rather they go with who they have in-house.
At this point, we have no clue if AF will only trade for a real difference maker or is also willing to pick up some fill in pieces, whether that be in starters or relievers.
Scherzer says he would prefer to come to a west coast team. That leaves us competing with the Giants, Padres and possibly even Seattle. Supposedly the Nats would like to get a deal done by Thursday so they can iron out the no-trade clause before the deadline. We shall see. I agree with TMax that we don’t just want to get an innings eater because with CK coming back and Gray now here, with Price and Catman making some real positive improvement lately, I think we have enough “innings eaters” without adding still another one.
Even with Nelson back and Knebel soon to be, I’d like to see us pick up one better-than-average reliever. I’d love to get Kimbrel but the cost might be ridiculous and I’m not willing to be ridiculous. That said, he’s got an option for next year and I doubt Kenley will be back so if he becomes our closer, he’s actually cheaper than Kenley was this year. One name out there that I wouldn’t mind getting back is Daniel Hudson, who is having a very nice year and shouldn’t cost all that much since he’s a free agent after the season. There are lots of guys available and I’m expecting Andrew to grab at least one of them.
And finally, I don’t think Mookie will stay healthy through the end of the year. The last thing we need is to have a playoff outfield which includes Luke Raley and Billy McKinney as starters (or even as reserves). As much as I like Beaty and ZMac, I don’t want them in our starting playoff outfield either (although I’m more than happy to have them on the bench). We need to get a good outfielder by Friday. I have no clue who that might be or whether it would be a rental or someone with control after this year. I think Andrew feels the same way I do and I expect him to pick up a better-than- average outfielder by Friday.
I agree with Jeff about outfielders. I am worried about the long-term prognosis regarding Betts’s injury. Especially with Bellinger continuing to strike out and pop up. Peters, Reks, Raley, McKinney, Zmac, and Beaty are not viable alternatives for the starting outfield.
Price and Gonsolin beginning to stretch out and pitch more innings and Gray’s solid start buys the team room with Kershaw returning soon.
There do not appear to be any in-house outfield solutions.
I have been very impressed with Graterol and Bickford has been a surprise. If the starters can pitch more innings the bullpen will be fine.
Wow. That’s quite a wish list jeff. I just don’t see how we can secure a meaningful starter, reliever and a outfielder. We’ve kind of exposed our major league ready minor league players and I don’t think other teams are going to be too excited about them. Andrew has never been one to trade young prospect’s and that’s about all he’s got to offer now. I do think he’ll trade for one major acquisition probably a starter. We’ll have to live with what we have on the bench and hope bellinger can find his stroke.
You’re right Gordon, the chances that Andrew gets a starter, reliever and outfielder are as close to zero as you can get. I think he would go after Scherzer if he could handle the cost in prospects. If he gets Max, he would probably lower his sights with regard to a bullpen piece and an outfielder, but could still pick up a reliever at a fairly low cost just to fill in.
The front office knows far more about Mookie’s condition than we do, but to me, it’s between rest making him better between seasons and surgery. I just don’t see him able to contribute much this year. He may come back, be OK for a little while and then go down again, just like last time.
If I’m correct about Mookie’s contribution for this year, there is no way AF doesn’t go out and get another outfielder. Remember, even if Belli is healthy the rest of the year we have no idea what he’ll contribute on offense. If we don’t use up our good prospects on a starter or reliever, I could see us doing something pretty major in the outfield. If we don’t go big time, I’ve always been a fan of Robbie Grossman so someone like him is still a major upgrade from what we have now. We’ll know in less than 72 hours how this all resolves itself.
If Mookie is done the Dodgers are likely done. We can’t replace him and win the pennant. Not with our other losses hanging there. The Dodgers are good but clearly not that deep.
I’m not convinced Kershaw is coming back at 100%. Sure hope so. I figured all our starters would need some time off and he’s had his. Urias is going to be asked to do something he’s never done and do we really expect Gray to pitch at least 5 innings every 5th day for two months?
Bauer. What he’s done to this organization is inexcusable. Bellinger. We all hope any day now he will figure it out. Knebel and Nelson. Will they stay on the active roster? Jansen. All these questions and a trade deadline a couple days away. Sure hope we are in first place late Thursday.
Although not impossible, we are not too likely to be in first place late Thursday because that would require a sweep of this series, in which we are starting Luke Raley and Billy McKinney in our outfield tonight. And possibly for the next two games.
Belli is starting at first base and Doc has told him to go easy on anything that might aggravate his hammy.
Speaking of hammies, Kelly is not available.
On the bright side, we do have Max back and he’ll probably hit 4 homers tonight.
Go easy? There is no easy in baseball!
A sweep isn’t likely. You are of course right about that. And we are at a disadvantage being on the road with 2 holes in our lineup. But, maybe THIS is the series
The Journeyman AAA guys Raley, Neuse, McKinney need to step up and show they belong or be on a one-way ticket to OKC or ?
I think you have to throw bellinger in with your journey man outfield of Raley, Mckinney, peters and reks. Without mookie it will be tough sledding. At least taylor could fill one of those outfield spots if we had a 2nd baseman or shortstop. Right now we’re pretty depleted everywhere. It’s why I’m so negative on prospects. They are prospects until they are journeyman and seldom deliver when you need them. If you could watch them and learn anything about their future the major league draft would be 3 rounds not 40 rounds. So we draft 40 players each year hoping to find two or three major league players and that almost never happens.
Can’t throw Belli in with the other outfielders tonight. For this game he’s a weak hitting first baseman.
I already said the only thing worse than a good defensive outfielder hitting 150 is a good defensive 1st baseman hitting 150.
Another 1 run lose tonight
And an unearned run to boot.
This team isn’t good enough to beat the giants or the Padres. We need everybody playing and playing well. The West is just too good to think we can roll through it with replacement players substituting for All Stars.
We started July with four straight wins but we are sub .500 since then. The mediocre results pretty much coincides with the Bauer fiasco, and that no doubt has had an effect on the clubhouse, but our replacement players just aren’t that good. We need Mookie and Seager back and we need them back lighting it up. And Bellinger? Any day Cody. Kershaw? I sure hope he’s back at full strength and for 3 months without any more time off.
And that good defensive first baseman hitting .150 is the guy who made the error that allowed the winning run, although the way we’re playing these days I’m sure we would have found another way to lose it if Belli hadn’t decided to uncork a centerfield-style throw while playing the infield.
I haven’t seen nearly as much of the Giants or Pads as I have the Dodgers this season, but they can’t be playing the sloppy baseball we are. We don’t hit, we don’t field, we don’t do the little things, we don’t play smart baseball. No matter how good the pitching is, it can’t overcome that.
Time to force Utley out of retirement. At least he’d get them to play fundamental baseball.
On opening day, I expected the Padres to win the division and I still do. At that time I was planning on our beating them in the NLCS, but we may very well not get there.
Mookie’s out & Bellinger’s not hitting and u are forced to play guys like McKinney $ Raley the pitching team s not the problem it’s the offense or lack there of.
And at the end of this vale of tears I hope that Mookie Betts has not suffered ‘Tulowitski hip.’
That would really be depressing Waldo, but not entirely impossible.
I think this team is good enough to win this division although I’m concerned about what the Padres might do this week like get rid of Meyers and Hosmer. Giants will fold sooner or later and I’ve never been a padte believer. The biggest benefit in getting seager back even if he’s mediocre is it frees Taylor to replace one of the triple A fails
Mookie is the key. With Seager back and if Mookie is back in a few weeks the lineup gets more potent except for Bellinger and his .150 avg. This team needs offense. Everyone wants a pitcher but that is getting better with Price and Gonsolin stretching out and Kershaw back in a week or so. The short starts of the Dodger starters have put huge innings on the bullpen. If the Dodgers were even .500 in one-run games they would be leading the league. Jansen has been part of the problem no matter what Roberts thinks.
The Dodgers have so many problems, it is hard to know where to start. Injuries are paramount in preventing them from playoffs/championship. Friedman needs to retain Ruiz as he seems like he is going to be a very good player. Do not give him up for a rental player. I am not concerned if LA doesn’t win everything this year. In the off season, primary concern is they must sign C.Taylor!!! He is irreplaceable. Maybe work out Smith at 3rd base. He has a good bat and is just ok as a catcher. Turner is getting older, he might become a DH next year. Sounds like Berrios would be the best choice for starting pitcher, young and good.
I agree! Keep Ruiz and do not trade away the future for a quick fix. I too like Berrios better than an old guy like Scherzer. But this team is terrible on defense and now on offense pitching is not going to solve the many many problems.