Despite having two of the best pitchers in baseball, the Los Angeles Dodgers have had issues with their starting rotation following the season-ending injuries to Brandon McCarthy and Hyun-jin Ryu. The latest rumors find the club will look for help on the trade market.
A number of marquee starters could be available prior to the trade deadline because they'll be hitting free agency after 2015. Those who are expected to become free agents include David Price, Johnny Cueto, Jordan Zimmermann, Scott Kazmir, Jeff Samardzija, Ian Kennedy, Doug Fister and others.
Their potential availability hinges on how their incumbent clubs perform through the month of July.
However, that doesn't matter to the Dodgers, who have apparently already have their sights set on a few names.
"At the top of the Dodgers' wish list, according to a source, is hard-throwing Washington Nationals right-hander Jordan Zimmermann, with Cincinnati Reds ace Johnny Cueto and Detroit Tigers lefty David Price also on the short list of desirable targets," writes Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
"The Dodgers have gotten no indication from Washington that it is willing to move Zimmermann, a source said, but there is plenty of time between now and the July 31 deadline.
"Galen Carr, the major league scout whose opinion will carry the most weight with Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, has attended several of Zimmermann's starts, a source said, and has also been at more than one of Cueto's starts. The link to Price is less clear, but Friedman's history with Price in Tampa Bay would indicate that possibility has some merit if the sides can match up on a deal."
Kazmir has previously been mentioned as a trade candidate for Los Angeles (mainly because he and president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman were together during their time with the Tampa Bay Rays) and Scott Miller of Bleacher Report recently suggested the Dodgers swap outfielder Andre Ethier with Los Angeles Angels starter C.J. Wilson, but nothing of that nature has been discussed.
The Tigers and Nationals see themselves as World Series contenders so it seems unlikely they'd look to deal Price and Zimmermann unless the Dodgers can offer them a package they can't refuse. As for the Reds, they still have not indicated if they're going to be sellers at the deadline, and even if they are, there will be plenty of other suitors for Cueto. On top of that, his health (recent elbow inflammation) remains an issue with those interested, so the Dodgers could back off.
"The right-hander could be among the best pitchers moved before the deadline, but some executives assume that whatever has ailed Cueto is worse than what the Reds are letting on, and they want to see his medicals," writes ESPN Insider Buster Olney.
The Dodgers' in-house starters Mike Bolsinger and Carlos Frias have filled in nicely since McCarthy and Ryu were lost for the year, but it's clear the team is looking to further upgrade and look to pull away from the San Francisco Giants in the NL West.
Los Angeles believes their plethora of hitters (Alex Guerrero, Andre Ethier) and minor league pitching (Zach Lee, Grant Holmes, Jose De Leon and Chris Anderson) could yield them a good starting pitcher in a trade.
The trade deadline is still ways away, but it's rapidly approaching. Look for the Dodgers to make a big move before July 31.
