The weeks leading up to the annual Major League Baseball trade deadline are usually a busy period for the Dodgers president of baseball operations, Andrew Friedman and his staff. How to enhance the team’s roster for the postseason push? Which prospects are considered untouchable? How much increase in payroll will Dodgers owner Mark Walter allow? Which pending free agents should the team attempt to trade? These are normal questions asked in a normal season, but there is nothing normal about the 2020 season, which is being played amidst a global pandemic resulting in:

• A 60-game season,
• A canceled minor league season,
• A 60-player pool, including 3-man taxi-squads,
• Players like the Dodgers David Price and Giants Buster Posey opting out of the season,
• Multiple games canceled due to positive COVID-19 tests,
• A 16-team postseason tournament,
• An August 31 trade deadline instead of July 31.

How might these changes affect Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman’s roster-tweaking plans leading up to this season’s trade deadline?

The current 40-man roster, plus the 20-players working out at the team’s alternate training site at the University of Southern California, is loaded with a depth of talent that is unsurpassed in the game. Friedman is in the enviable position of “Sittin’ in the catbird seat,” (to use the catchphrase of Dodgers Hall of Fame broadcaster Red Barber) – willing to listen to other teams’ inquiries but under no pressure to make a change.

Some baseball analysts have suggested that the team should pursue a top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher. But the rapid development rookie pitchers Dustin May (22 years old) and Tony Gonsolin (26 years old) to complement Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler have made acquiring another starter a luxury rather than a necessity. It is unlikely that a quality top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher will be available anyway, considering that 23 teams remain in contention for postseason berths; to say nothing of the acquisition cost in Dodgers prospects that would be required.

The Dodgers may attempt to trade a couple of the eight players who will become free agents after the 2020 World Series: Pitchers Pedro Baez, Jake McGee, Jimmy Nelson (season-ending IL), Blake Treinen, and Alex Wood; infielder Justin Turner; outfielder Joc Pederson; and utility player Kiké Hernandez. None will be extended a qualifying offer by the team (union contract prevents the team from making Turner a QO) and can leave without compensation to the Dodgers.

The Dodgers attempted to trade Pederson (along with pitcher Ross Stripling) to the Angels in Spring Training. With left-handed hitters Edwin Rios, Matt Beaty, and Zach McKinstry also on the roster, trading Joc seems likely if the team can receive a reasonable return.

With many teams looking for starting pitching, Wood is also a likely trade candidate, if healthy. With Mitchell White and Josiah Gray staying sharp at USC, the Dodgers can afford to trade Wood. Baez may also be a trade chip, considering the number and quality of right-handed relievers who are on the team; this in addition to veteran relievers AJ Ramos and Edubray Ramos, who are also at USC. Reportedly, the team is concerned with the decrease in Baez’s fastball velocity. The 32-year-old Bani, Dominican Republic native was placed on the IL this past week for a strained right groin.

Two issues could complicate any trade this season: players transferring from one team’s bubble to another team’s bubble; and the option to opt-out of the remainder of the season. For example, would the Dodgers even consider trading for a player from the St. Louis Cardinals’ bubble considering the number of recent positive COVID-19 tests? Conversely, would a Dodgers player traded to the Cardinals decide to opt-out of the season rather than report to that confirmed COVID environment? Or the Dodgers agree to send several highly-regarded prospects for a rental player who chooses to opt-out for the remainder of the season rather than find living accommodations in Southern California?

Who might be on the Dodgers radar for acquisition?

Don’t look for a blockbuster, it simply isn’t necessary, and the complications are many. It is more likely that the Dodgers will add to their prospect pool by trading players not projected to be in their 2021 plans without depleting their current 2020 depth.

  *  *  *  *  *  *