Los Angeles Dodgers Rumors: Latest News Surrounding the Dodgers

Two months into the season, the Dodgers have had a rocky year that has nonetheless been filled with more ups than downs. They are in first place in the NL West and have the second-best record in the National League. However, they have also lost two members of their projected rotation (Hyun-jin Ryu and Brandon McCarthy) for the rest of the season.

An aggressive front office will likely not sit idly by if the team’s internal options do not prove to be acceptable replacements. The recent Juan Uribe trade and the constant player movement throughout this year demonstrate president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and general manager Farhan Zaidi’s willingness to make moves if necessary. And, unfortunately for the Dodgers’ best-laid plans, the team may need such changes.

Back of the Bullpen

Danny Moloshok/Associated Press

LHP Paco Rodriguez is one of a number of Dodger relievers currently on the disabled list.

Wednesday night brought a huge scare to the Dodgers, as Kenley Jansen was unavailable in a save situation against Colorado despite having pitched just once in the previous week. A report from Mark Saxon of ESPN.com suggested that Jansen was ill, but the pitcher’s history of heart troubles made his sudden absence concerning. He appears to be fine, but this simply reinforced the idea that the Dodgers need some help at the end of games.

Pedro Baez and Paco Rodriguez are on the disabled list with no real timetable to return. The Dodgers have come to rely on Yimi Garcia and Adam Liberatore late in games, but neither pitcher has a significant track record of success.

It is probably too early to figure out exactly which relievers will be available, but expect the Dodgers to be interested in whoever is available. They have shown a willingness to build a bullpen out of spare parts thus far, so any trade may not be for an expensive piece.

Yasiel Puig

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

This is a silly item for me to have to address, but rumors exist that the Dodgers may look to trade Yasiel Puig. As best I can determine, the beginning of this story was a Bill Plaschke column in the Los Angeles Times that contained no suggestion that Puig would actually be traded. A later video from Fox Sport’s Ken Rosenthal notes that no Dodger is untradeable, but that is true for every player in the league.

For the right offer, anyone is available—including Puig.

However, this does not mean that Puig is on the trading block or is likely to be moved. He remains an impact player with a career 152 wRC+ and generally solid defense in right field. His flair for the spectacular makes him polarizing, but a healthy Puig would slot right back into the top half of the Dodgers lineup.

Starting Rotation

Matt Slocum/Associated Press

The Dodgers may target LHP Cole Hamels at the trade deadline.

Cole Hamels is the biggest and most obvious name here, but allow me to use this space to discuss the larger rotation issues as well.

First, Hamels: Jake Kaplan of the Philadelphia Inquirer mentioned the Dodgers as one of the potential suitors, but he notes that their unwillingness to part with any of Corey Seager, Joc Pederson and Julio Urias is a major stumbling block to any trade. It would not be a shock to see the Dodgers shift their position if the rotation continues to be an issue through July—particularly on Urias, who plays the same position as Hamels—but I would not expect them to do so.

Hamels is the best trade option because he is both an excellent pitcher and under contract through 2018, but other pitchers might become available. Johnny Cueto, for example, plays for a team that is not expected to contend and is a free agent after this season. He would likely be too expensive for the Dodgers’ tastes, although the fact that he would merely be a rental might drive his price down to an area at which the Dodgers are comfortable.

Ultimately, though, a reasonable target for the Dodgers is someone like Scott Kazmir. A good pitcher with a track record, he would fit well behind Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke in a potential playoff rotation. Plus, he would not require a huge outlay of resources, which is important because this new regime is still trying to build a sustainable winner and not an irresponsible one.

Advanced stats courtesy of FanGraphs.