Cole Hamels has dominated trade rumors, especially after the recent injuries to a number of starting pitchers. However, Cincinnati Reds starter Johnny Cueto is also a viable option and it's possible the Los Angeles Dodgers chase him following the season-ending injury to Brandon McCarthy.
The Dodgers also face questions beyond McCarthy, which create an even bigger need for Cueto. Hyun-Jin Ryu has yet to pitch since being shut down late in spring training because of shoulder inflammation and president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman declined to acknowledge if the left-hander would return by June 1, according to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times.
Additionally, Zack Greinke was surrounded with concerns in the offseason when he received a lubricating injection in his right elbow. Although he has performed tremendously thus far, there's also speculation he could opt out of his contract when the season ends so he can pursue one last lucrative deal before he gets too old to do so (he's 31 years old).
Being that McCarthy will miss at least half of the 2016 season and the futures surrounding Ryu and Greinke are unclear, the Dodgers have nobody reliable beyond Clayton Kershaw, who is under a seven-year, $215 million contract.
If Friedman's internal options are exhausted by June, the club could explore the trade market for another $200 million pitcher.
"The Dodgers have used their resources in creative ways over the past seven months while hoping that their relatively thin starting rotation would hold up. Now they might be cornered into making a significant starting pitching investment, either this summer or in the fall. A number of industry folks believe they'll take a run at Johnny Cueto," writes ESPN Insider Buster Olney.
Shaikin also mentions Cueto as a potential option, in addition to Hamels, Jeff Samardzija (White Sox), Doug Fister (Nationals) and Jordan Zimmermann (Nationals). However, Cueto might be the best fit here because the Phillies still have excessive demands for Hamels since he's signed through the 2018 season; the White Sox are hoping to sign Samardzija to a long-term deal; and the Nationals may want to keep their rotation intact if they're sitting atop the NL East by the time July rolls around, which will likely be the case unless the New York Mets keep winning at their current pace.
This leaves Cueto, who the Reds undoubtedly cannot afford because he was said to have been seeking $200 million. Although they've gotten off to a decent start, chances are they'll fall behind in the competitive NL Central because their pitching staff is no longer deep as it once was (Homer Bailey is out for two months) and the offense ranks 20th in runs scored (87), even with a healthy lineup in 2015.
If they can't keep up with the St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates, it's almost guaranteed they'll look to trade Cueto and get value for the right-hander before he hits the free agent market after the season.
"Friedman said trades in April and May 'are pretty uncommon' and indicated the Dodgers would fill the rotation vacancies internally for the next two months on a 'turn by turn' basis," adds Shaikin. "... by June pending free agents could become available if their clubs are far out of the race."
Look for Los Angeles to make a move by then if things don't appear to be shaping up, especially since it's likely they can afford to coax Cueto into staying with the club beyond 2015.
