Top Five Pitchers Dodgers Should Try to Trade for Their Rotation

(Photo By Dave Sandford/Getty Images)

So the LA Dodgers have suddenly no questions on their lineup. They retained Manny, and Casey Blake. In doing so, they also ignored one key fact that helped them all of last season, their pitching. Last season the Dodgers lead the NL in team era with 3.68. They were fourth in shutouts with four, and for CG's they were tied for fourth with fifth.

Last year's pitching ace was Derek Lowe, the 35 year old lead the team with a 14-11 record but a 3.24 ERA and a team high 211 Innings Pitch. Derek wanted approximately four years worth close to $70M total. They Dodgers front office let him walk and he signed with the Braves for about four years $60M. 

To make matters worse 2007 NL All Star Brad Penny's club option for about eight million was declined. He signed with the Boston Red Sox at a relatively low bargaining price for three million with incentives.

Penny, was never more than a five or six inning starter for the Dodgers. In fact, when he won a career 16 games for LA in 2007 his average innings per start 6.3. The problem with this is that for the longest time I can remember (I am only 24 years old) the Dodgers were ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS about pitching.

From Sandy and Don to Fernando and Orel and Kevin Brown to Chan Ho Park. Suddenly I don't see myself being too thrilled with the fact that we have Eric Stults, and James McDonald to eat those innings by Lowe and Penny.

I am ecstatic at the fact that we have Chad "Bills" Billingsley and Clayton "CK" Kershaw. Both have the same powerful arms as their once former predecessors in Koufax and Drysdale.

I know it's too early to put pressure on these potential pitching pair that we have but it seems to me that they are the only ones on the club that has any future value.

Let's face it Hiroki Kuroda is 34 and is a free agent next year, James McDonald who has a good arm needs more seasoning whether it be here or at AAA, and the once most famous pitching prospect before CK came along in the name of Scott Elbert has fizzled and struggled with his control here in the Majors.

What the Dodgers need are some veteran arms who still have the potential to be great in this year and the next couple of years. I am going to show who we need and what do we need to offer that particular team for the person of interest.

Bare with me while I am doing this I am not aware if any of these pitchers are available by the trading deadline.

5) Jeremy Accardo from the Blue Jays.

Analysis: With Joe Beimel gone and Saito now a Red Sox, the Dodgers lost one of their bridge gappers to the ninth with Broxton inheriting the closers role. They still have Kuo and Wade but Wade seems to be more of a seventh inning guy.

Accardo has closer's experience in case Broxton is injured or falters (I highly doubt it) and he also is a reliable setup man to get the ball into Broxton's hands.

Package: Blue Jays need a 3b along with some young arms. The Dodgers should package up Josh Bell, and right hander Nathan Eovaldi. Bell is 22 years old and he can play 1b or 3b. Meanwhile Eovaldi has a good fastball which tops at 92 and a curveball has good sink and movement on it. He can be a closer in waiting once B.J. Ryan's contract is up.

4) Jeremy Guthrie, from Baltimore Orioles.

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