Los Angeles Dodgers Trade Rumors: Updating All of L.A.'s Hottest Waiver Rumors

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The Los Angeles Dodgers were Major League Baseball's most active team leading up to the July 31 non-waiver deadline. Los Angeles made three trades in July that added a total of four new players to the roster, including 3B/SS Hanley Ramirez and LHP Randy Choate from the Miami Marlins, RHP Brandon League from the Seattle Mariners and LF Shane Victorino from the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Dodgers stayed busy after the trade deadline, placing a waiver claim on Phillies RHP Joe Blanton and agreeing to terms on a deal that sent him to Los Angeles.

All of the moves have helped the Dodgers get off to a 10-6 start in August and move back into a tie with the San Francisco Giants for first place in the NL West. But all of that activity also means that Los Angeles has not been mentioned in many trade rumors since the beginning of the month.

With the August 31 MLB waiver trade deadline less than two weeks away, I'll be regularly updating this article with the most recent, verifiable rumors related to the Dodgers and their potential trade activity. As of now, that activity does not include a player like Justin Morneau, who was regularly linked to the team before the end of July, but hasn't shown up on the radar since.

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports suggested that including Nathan Eovaldi in the Ramirez deal would kill the Dodgers' chances of acquiring Morneau. But no deal is ever truly dead until the deadline is past.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers appear to have a chance to get a better upgrade than Morneau at first base. The latest report from Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com states that Adrian Gonzalez" target="_blank">Los Angeles has been awarded a waiver claim on Boston Red Sox first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. 

The Dodgers and Red Sox had discussed a deal prior to the July 31 deadline (see more on the following slide), but those talks never went very far. The two sides now have 48-hours from the time the claim was awarded to work out a trade, which could now also include RHP Josh Beckett (see Beckett slide for more).

According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, the Dodgers have also been awarded a claim on the de facto staff ace.

After getting swept by the San Francisco Giants early in the week, the Los Angeles may feel like they still need one more big bat to improve their odds of winning the NL West and advancing in the playoffs.

The Dodgers could also be looking to take further advantage of the Melky Cabrera PED suspension. The Giants left fielder will miss the rest of the regular season after testing positive for an elevated level of synthetic testosterone. 

Josh Beckett, RHP, Boston Red Sox

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The Los Angeles Dodgers are continuing to dominate MLB trade rumors. The team has reportedly been awarded a waiver claim for Boston Red Sox RHP Josh Becket. Along with first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, Beckett is the second high-priced Red Sox player that the Dodgers have expressed interest in today.

The two moves combined fuel speculation, covered in further detail in this article by Bleacher Report's MLB Lead Writer Ian Casselberry, that the Dodgers and Red Sox could consumate a larger deal that could bring Becket, Gonzalez and Carl Crawford to Los Angeles. 

Adrian Gonzalez, 1B, Boston Red Sox

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The Los Angeles Dodgers had understandably been quiet on the waiver front since agreeing on a deal to bring RHP Joe Blanton over from the Philadelphia Phillies earlier this month. All that changed with an article in the Los Angeles Times this morning suggesting that the Dodgers might be in play for Boston Red Sox first baseman Adrian Gonzalez.

The Dodgers inquired about Gonzalez before the July 31 non-waiver deadline according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports. Now that the 30-year-old slugger—who was also reportedly a key member of Boston's players-owners meeting that took place in New York in July—has indeed been placed on waivers, is it possible that Los Angeles could make the Red Sox and overwhelming offer?

Gonzalez is a Southern California native (San Diego) who enjoyed a great deal of success playing in the NL West. With James Loney being a huge disappointment offensively, Gonzalez would still provide excellent defense, while giving the Dodgers perhaps the National League's most potent offense, joining All-Star outfielders Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier, along with three-time former All-Star SS/3B Hanley Ramirez, who's reignited his career since joining the Los Angeles last month.

The Dodgers have been steadfast in their desire to rebuild their minor league system by not trading their best prospects. But a player of Gonzalez's caliber may be too good to pass up.

Aaron Cook, RHP, Boston Red Sox

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The Boston Red Sox recently placed RHP Aaron Cook on waivers, and according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe (via Zach Links of MLB Trade Rumors), the Los Angeles Dodgers were among a number of teams interested in the veteran. RHPs Joe Blanton and Brandon League have both struggled since being acquired, and Cook could have been used to bolster the rotation or in long relief as they push towards a postseason berth. 

Alas Cook cleared waivers without the Dodgers making a claim, signifying that they are satisfied with their pitching depth at this time.