Dodgers' Top Players to Target and Avoid at 2023 MLB Trade Deadline

The Los Angeles Dodgers have more roster holes to plug than in years past, but they still sit in first place in the NL West standings and stand as one of the top World Series contenders out of the National League.

Shortstop has been a glaring hole all season since Gavin Lux suffered a season-ending injury during spring training, while the starting rotation has also become a question mark with three rookies in the current rotation and Clayton Kershaw dealing with shoulder discomfort.

All signs point to it being a busy deadline for a Dodgers team with a deep farm system to trade from and multiple areas of need.

Ahead, we've highlighted two players the team should target and taken a quick look at two guys they would be wise to avoid.

SS Paul DeJong, St. Louis Cardinals

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WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 19: Paul DeJong #11 of the St. Louis Cardinals plays shortstop against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on June 19, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)

At this time a year ago, Paul DeJong was playing in Triple-A after losing his starting job and struggling to the point of being demoted to the minors.

The 2019 All-Star has rebounded nicely this season, hitting .238/.306/.429 with 10 doubles, 12 home runs and 30 RBI in 265 plate appearances, and he has gone from a sunk cost to a legitimate trade candidate.

With Chicago White Sox star Tim Anderson struggling, DeJong has become the best option on the market for teams looking to upgrade at shortstop, and with a $12.5 million club option and $2 million buyout for 2024 he has the potential to be more than just a rental.

RHP Lucas Giolito, Chicago White Sox

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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 06: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Lucas Giolito #27 of the Chicago White Sox in action against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on June 6, 2023 in Bronx, New York. The White Sox defeated the Yankees 3-2. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

With a 3.96 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 122 strikeouts in 116 innings, Lucas Giolito has returned to frontline form this season, and he is the most likely player to be moved on the Chicago White Sox roster at the deadline.

The Dodgers have already squeezed 26 starts out of rookies Bobby Miller, Michael Grove, Emmet Sheehan and Gavin Stone, and adding a proven workhorse to the rotation would help take some pressure off those young arms.

With one of baseball's deepest farm systems, the Dodgers can put together an offer that will rival any other team in baseball if they decide to put Giolito at the top of their shopping list this summer.

Players to Avoid

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ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JULY 16: Tim Anderson #7 of the Chicago White Sox reacts after hitting a RBI single in the second inning against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on July 16, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

SS Tim Anderson, Chicago White Sox

A two-time All-Star and a .318 hitter over the past four seasons, Anderson is struggling through the worst season of his career. The 30-year-old ranks dead last among 152 qualified hitters with a 52 OPS+ in 309 plate appearances, and while a change of scenery could help jump-start his season, he could also fail to address the team's most glaring roster hole.

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RHP Shane Bieber, Cleveland Guardians

The Dodgers need starting pitching help right now, so while Bieber is an appealing name, the fact that he is currently on the injured list with elbow inflammation should take him out of the team's deadline plans. The 2020 AL Cy Young winner could be a potential offseason target if Cleveland decides to hold onto him until the winter and moves him before his final year of control.