The MLB non-waiver trade deadline is just a month away and with it comes crazy trade rumors and wish lists. In this article, and probably a few more to come, I will be taking your suggestions on who you would like to see the Dodgers pursue and your reasons why or why not. The goal of this piece is to hear everyone’s ideas and hopefully give some reason to them. If you would like to submit a suggestion, you can do so via Twitter at @Jacob_Rudner or email at Jacob@thinkbluela.com.

This article, the first of two, will focus on starting pitchers and will be broken into two parts.

Suggestion made by @Jedimind1207 on Twitter: Yu Darvish, RHP Texas Rangers:

Yu Darvish is an excellent pitcher. He still has, in my opinion, some unlocked potential because he’s missed so much time dealing with injuries. Darvish is a three-time All-Star and led the league in strikeouts in 2013. And, after much anticipation from Rangers fans, Darvish seems to be back for good and he has done so in stride. Darvish owns an impressive 3.12 ERA and has struck out 109 batters so far. Opposing hitters are batting a measly .199 against him and just like that Darvish is yet again a front of the line starter. The problem with him will be availability.

Yu Darvish

The Rangers currently sit 12.5 games back of the Astros who are crushing the AL this year with no signs of letting up. But, even if the Rangers don’t win the division (they probably won’t) they still are very much in the running for a wild card spot being just one game out. Darvish is their ace right now and in my opinion, they would need to hear an incredible offer to let him go with potential playoff hopes. That offer would probably have to be rather large and one I think that Dodgers should not make nor will they make. Darvish is as good as it gets right now and the price will be way too high. Not to mention, I don’t even think the Rangers will be listening to offers for him.

Suggestion made by @x_Th3_Truth_x on Twitter: Aaron Sanchez, RHP Toronto Blue Jays:

Aaron Sanchez, at just 24 years old, he profiles as an elite arm and one that would surely bolster any rotation. Last year, Sanchez recorded a stellar 15-2 record paired with an ERA of just 3.00. The combination of these two led him to two All-Star appearances and a seventh-place finish in the AL Cy Young race. As for the trade market, Sanchez hasn’t been thrown around very much in trade rumors and the reason for that is probably because the Jays have no interest in parting ways with the talented young righty. That being said, Sanchez has been hit by injury after injury this year and has been on the shelf since May 20 with an injury all too familiar with Dodger fans: a middle finger blister. This blister, much like that of Rich Hill, will not go away and after a month of waiting Sanchez made his first rehab start on June 29 with no signs of discomfort.

Aaron Sanchez

The Jays currently find themselves in dead last in the AL East but only six and half games out of first place. Their standing indicates that they could be sellers come the deadline but I would be shocked to see them part ways with any big names unless it was for a huge prospect return. I think that Sanchez would do wonders for the Dodgers but unfortunately, I just do not think the team would be willing to part ways with the necessary talent to acquire him. A trade like this would surely involve either Willie Calhoun or Alex Verdugo and it probably would not stop there. I think that Sanchez is a stretch to be moved to any team at the deadline but the Dodgers definitely have the pieces to make it happen should they chose to. Realistically speaking, I will rule out Sanchez as a Dodger trade candidate but hypothetically speaking it could happen if the front office really wanted it to due to the overflowing talent in the minors that could be used in a trade.

Suggestion made by @dodgers_randi and several others on: Sonny Gray, RHP Oakland Athletics:

When the term “seller” is used to describe a team at the deadline there is no better organization to fit the name than the A’s. Ever since they piloted the moneyball strategy, they have been shipping away established talent for coveted prospects at almost every trade deadline. To put this into perspective, this is a team that could have had Jon Lester, Scott Kazmir, Brandon McCarthy, Brett Anderson (who was a Cy Young candidate with the A’s), Ben Zobrist, Josh Donaldson, and Yoenis Cespedes had they held onto their pieces. But, they didn’t and luckily for the other 29 teams, they still do not hold on to talent. So, that brings us to Sonny Gray. Gray has been in trade rumors for the last two seasons and it comes as no surprise at all that he’s rumored yet again. Unfortunately for the A’s, Gray’s production last year was basically as poor as it can get from a trade chip who happens to be your staff ace. Last year, Gray finished with an ERA of 5.69 and 6-11 record. And, if that wasn’t enough, he spent most of the last half of the season on the disabled list with multiple oblique injuries. The struggles did not stop after last season. This year, in 11 starts, Gray owns a 4.45 ERA and a 3-3 record. To his credit, the 4.45 ERA is definitely buoyed by a couple horrible starts in which he surrendered more than five runs. So, he’s had some bad games and he’s had some good ones this year but in the end, I think it’s time for him to be traded.

Sonny Gray

In my mind, there is no scenario in which Sonny Gray remains with the Athletics at this year’s trade deadline. With his numbers slowly but surely declining and his best baseball having been played in 2015, the A’s should try and suck up whatever value he brings now rather than later. I think due to his inconsistency the A’s cannot afford to risk further decay in his stats as it will suck up the remaining value he brings to the table. With all this being said, the only problem in acquiring him would be the intense bidding war sure to happen. Whether his stats show it or not, Gray profiles as an ace and quite honestly, a change of scenery could bring him back to what he used to be. For that reason, most teams will check in on a trade for the 27-year-old and I think the Dodgers, a team that has always been reluctant to part ways with prospects, may not come away with him. The price to begin with will be high and it will only get higher as teams start to outbid each other. I do think that Gray will be on the move this year regardless of whether or not it is to the Dodgers. The question on Gray will remain how much the Dodgers front office is willing to give up for someone who does not guarantee good pitching.

Suggestion made by ThinkBlueLA’s Ron Cervenka: Johnny Cueto, RHP San Francisco Giants:

Let me start with this: The Giants have been really bad this year. So bad that they are hovering around 20 games below .500 and are currently worse than the San Diego Padres, a team with three starters who I had never heard of before in its opening day rotation. The Giants have already made it public that they will be selling this year and the only players unavailable are Madison Bumgarner, Buster Posey, and Brandon Crawford. Everyone else is fair game. So, there’s Johnny Cueto. Cueto has been in the league for nine years and is only 31 years old. He is a three-time All-Star and has come in the top ten in Cy Young voting three times. The longtime Cincinnati Red was traded to the Kansas City Royals in 2015 as a rental player and helped them to a World Series title. He then signed with the division-rival Giants in 2016. Cueto, for most of his career, has been exceptionally good. This year though, has been a different story as he owns a 4.20 ERA and has gone 5-7 in starts with a decision. Cueto will be on the trade block this year and I personally think the Dodgers should make a run for him. Cueto is an incredible pitcher and his record is not something to look at when trying to prove otherwise.

Johnny Cueto

This year, the Giants have had a hard time providing run support for their pitchers and most of their wins have actually come in late or extra innings. So, with Cueto down in the statistics department and with the Giants on the edge of a full-blown rebuild, the veteran righty may come at a discounted price and one the Dodgers can reasonably afford. I would go so far as to say that the Dodgers should be willing to trade someone like top outfield prospect Alex Verdugo to make this happen because with Cueto in the rotation, the Dodgers may then have what it takes to go the distance (if they don’t already). So, as horrible as it may sound, Johnny Cueto may be moved from the Giants to the Dodgers this year. I think that Cueto is the right fit for this club and the front office certainly has the farm pieces to make the Giants interested. I think that of the options on the Dodgers wish list, Cueto is potentially the most interesting and one that is not all that far-fetched. If I had to pose a problem with this, it would be that the Giants would be reluctant to trade their best starting pitcher – Madison Bumgarner not withstanding – to their fiercest NL West rival, but at this point there is little competition between the two teams and it would benefit the Giants to begin acquiring young talent for the future.

My Trade pick: Mike Pelfrey, RHP Chicago White Sox:

This pick may be a little bit surprising to anyone reading this but I personally think that Mike Pelfrey is the perfect trade candidate for the Dodgers. Pelfrey is not the flashiest pitcher to ever grace the game and both his pitches and his stats agree with that statement. At the moment, Pelfrey owns a 4.13 ERA and is 3-6 on the season. Those numbers are not screaming to be traded for but the reason this would work is as follows. The White Sox are in rebuild mode. They started that this past off-season when they traded away Chris Sale and Adam Eaton for huge prospect returns and are certainly going to look to continue shipping away veterans at the deadline. Both the rebuild and the fact that Pelfrey has not been stellar should combine to mean that the price on Pelfrey is not that big.

Mike Pelfrey

The Dodgers should be able to get away with giving up a fairly minimal package likely involving guys who are somewhat close to being major league ready but not quite at that point. Guys who come to mind include Ralston Cash, Wilmer Font, O’Koyea Dickson, and other players of similar profile. Pelfrey could slot in as a number three starter in this Dodger rotation and would also remain a piece of the team for one more season as he will not hit free agency until 2018. I think that the combination of Pelfrey’s low asking price and the White Sox’ willingness to sell veterans makes the 33-year-old righty a very reasonable trade target for the Dodgers.

This is the end of part one of two for starting pitcher wish lists. Again, please feel free to contact me with your suggestions for potential trade targets.