Exactly two weeks remain before the 2021 MLB trade deadline, and by all accounts, the Dodgers are perusing the market for seasoned pitching help. Prioritizing starting pitching makes sense considering the season-ending injury to phenom Dustin May, the potential for Trevor Bauer to miss significant time, Clayton Kershaw on the IL, the team’s reluctance to use David Price as a starter, and Tony Gonsolin’s inconsistency.

Around this time in every MLB season, teams are grouped by baseball pundits into buyers or sellers. Buyers being those teams with a reasonable probability of playing in the postseason, and sellers being those teams that are planning roster moves in preparation for 2022 and beyond. Of the 30 MLB teams, only nine may be categorized as sellers at this point in the season: Arizona Diamondbacks, Baltimore Orioles, Colorado Rockies, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Miami Marlins, Minnesota Twins, Pittsburgh Pirates, and the Texas Rangers. The Chicago Cubs may also fall into the seller category because of the large number of players (nine) who will be free agents after the 2021 World Series.

While sellers make sense as trade partners for the Dodgers, the most likely players to be targeted from those teams are categorized as rentals – players who will be free agents after the season. Rental starting pitchers for 2021 include Zach Davies (Chicago Cubs), Jon Gray (Colorado Rockies), Danny Duffy (Kansas City Royals), Michael Pineda (Minnesota Twins), and Tyler Anderson (Pittsburgh Pirates).

Duffy’s 2.35 ERA appears to put him at the top of this group of pitchers, but he has been on the IL for 30 days this season with left (pitching) forearm soreness. Prior to his injury, the 32-year-old Duffy was having a spectacular season with a 1.94 ERA. A healthy Duffy would be a very good addition to the Dodgers starting rotation.

While Jon Gray’s ERA this season is only 3.77 (compared to Duffy), he has been exceptional when facing very good offensive teams: Milwaukee Brewers (0.00 ERA), Houston Astros (1.35 ERA), San Francisco Giants (3.00 ERA), and San Diego Padres (3.12). The 29-year-old Gray has also been on the IL this season, three weeks for right (pitching) elbow soreness (MRI – no structural damage). Gray would be an excellent addition to the Dodgers starting rotation.

Trading with the Rockies for Jon Gray will be difficult, to put it mildly, and may require higher-level Dodgers prospects to consummate a deal. Kansas City may be a more willing trade partner with the Dodgers, as they have done so in the past (Scott Alexander) and recently re-signed former Dodgers prospect Scott Barlow as a minor league free agent.

Considering that Dustin May most likely will not be ready to pitch for the Dodgers until July 2022, Clayton Kershaw will be a free agent after the 2021 season, and the potential that Trevor Bauer will not pitch another game as a Dodger, the team may want more than a rental.

What trade options might the Dodgers consider for a starting pitcher with several years of team control? We will soon take a look at those scenarios.

Stay tuned…

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