The Los Angeles Dodgers need starting pitching help. On top of the season-ending injuries to Brandon McCarthy and Hyun-jin Ryu, ace Clayton Kershaw has not been pitching like his usual self nearly halfway through the season. Is the team exploring a deal for another left-hander?
ESPN Insider Jason Martinez ran an article today examining the biggest needs for the MLB's top contenders as we approach the trade deadline. The Dodgers were on that list and it was no surprise Martinez had Philadelphia Phillies' starter Cole Hamels as the team's top trade target. The two have been linked in previous rumors and it's a clear match given the Dodgers have both the prospects and money to acquire Hamels.
Los Angeles has done a good job patching up the rotation with the additions of Mike Bolsinger and Carlos Frias, but their reliability is in question considering they've pitched in 46 combined games at the Major League level. Other concerns in the rotation have to do with injuries.
"What happens when guys like Mike Bolsinger (5.32 ERA over his past four starts) and Carlos Frias (10 ER in 10 2/3 innings over his past two starts) come back down to earth, which they're already showing signs of doing? And what if Brett Anderson gets hurt? His 14 starts are the most he has made in a season since 2010," adds Martinez.
"They'll need more than Brandon Beachy, who recently began a rehab assignment and is trying to come back from his second Tommy John surgery, if they want to avoid falling victim to another late-season Giants run."
There remain a number of teams in play for Hamels before the deadline and the Dodgers profile as one of the top destinations for the veteran.
However, it's unknown who the Dodgers would give up in such a deal. It's more than likely Joc Pederson is off-limits, as are prospects Corey Seager and Julio Urias. Martinez mentions the Dodgers "might be able to get something done" if they are willing to include Urias, but the 18-year-old has shown great promise after accumulating a 2.53 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 222 strikeouts in 50 games (45 starts) in the minor leagues.
While it's hard to believe Los Angeles would part ways with such a promising prospect, it's not unfathomable. The Dodgers went heavy on pitching in the draft earlier this month and managed to land top college arms Walker Buehler and Kyle Funkhouser along with Joshua Sborz and Philip Pfeifer in the first three rounds. Buehler and Funkhouser have the potential to be ready for MLB action within the next couple of seasons.
The Dodgers would have to obviously give up more than Urias for Hamels, and another name that could be involved in such a deal is Alex Guerrero.
"'Donde? Philadelphia?' Guerrero said, laughing and raising his hands to the sky in prayer when it was pointed out that his name was likely to come up in speculation as a potential trade chip if the Dodgers are going to acquire pitching help before the trade deadline," writes Bill Plunkett of the Ocean County Register.
Guerrero has pretty much been an afterthought since his hot start that had many questioning why manager Don Mattingly couldn't find a more integral role for the 28-year-old. His stat line has dropped to .267/.295/.65/.860 in 131 at-bats and the Dodgers don't really have a place for him.
"We can't put him anywhere where he gets to play every day, every day," Mattingly told Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times earlier this month. "And so we have to try and help him learn on the fly. At the big-league level, you're trying to learn to play third and at the big-league level you're trying to play left -- that's the toughest thing."
Dilbeck further commented on the matter yesterday.
"He started off this season splitting time between third and left field, all while hitting the snot out of the ball. And now he has seemingly disappeared from the Dodgers' plans at third.
"He's been their best hitter per at-bat, and they cannot get him in the lineup. How can this be? He understandably still looks uncomfortable in left field, but he has appeared at least close to adequate at third."
Guerrero has only 40 plate appearances this month and he'll be even more expendable when Carl Crawford returns from the disabled list. At this point it's really hard to tell what Guerrero is capable of doing on a consistent basis. He displayed his ability to make good contact and hit for power with only 26 at-bats in April (.423 average with 5 home runs and 13 RBIs), but his next 105 at-bats produced a .229 average with 5 home runs and 16 RBIs.
Teams contacted the Dodgers about a trade for Guerrero earlier in the season, but it's unclear if interest still exists. Nonetheless, the potential is there and he's under contract through 2017. His contract grants him an opt-out clause at the end of the year if he's traded, but at this point he'd be foolish to do that and leave the remaining money on the table.
All in all there are two things to keep an eye out for before the trade deadline: the Dodgers making a move for Hamels and the Dodgers moving Guerrero.
