November 14th, 2024 at 8:00 am 
by Jesse Pearce The Dodgers have the economic clout to pursue and sign any free agent currently on the open market. Twenty-three-year-old right-handed Nippon Baseball pitching phenom Roki Sasaki is reportedly on their radar, as is 32-year-old outfielder Teoscar Hernández, who they hope to re-sign. There were even rumors that megastar outfielder Juan Soto might join the World Series champs, although in now appears that he will re-sign with the New York Yankees for a reported (and MLB record-setting) $702 million. There have also been reports of pitching stars Corbin Burnes, Max Fried, and Blake Snell becoming Dodgers to pursue multiple world championships.
Current and previous Dodgers free agent signings have also put the team in the enviable position of having an abundance of talent throughout the organization. Some of that talent could/should be used as trade capital to bolster the roster with younger, experienced talent, or to further supplement one of the best minor league development programs in the game.
Which players might the Dodgers part with for the right return now or in the future?
It isn’t stop-the-presses news that the Dodgers are deep in right handed pitching talent. Recently, MLB Pipeline recognized River Ryan, the team’s number five prospect, as the top 26-year-old prospect in all of MLB. Who was second to Ryan? Dodgers fellow right-handed pitching prospect (and Torrance, CA native) Nick Frasso.
Peruse the Dodgers 40-man roster and the list of their top-30 prospects and you will see that the pipeline is once again loaded with highly regarded pitching talent; so loaded that they can afford to part with a few talents to strengthen the roster in other areas. Tony Gonsolin, Michael Grove, Landon Knack, Dustin May, or even previous number one prospect Bobby Miller may be available for the right deal. The Dodgers will not part with all of these young pitchers, some will likely be needed in the bullpen in 2025, but for the right return…
The other area of strength-in-numbers for the Dodgers is catching. Twenty-nine-year-old Dodgers catcher Will Smith is one of the best in baseball, and the reliable Austin Barnes (35 in December) will most likely be Smith’s backup for 2025. In case of emergency, 28-year-old Hunter Feduccia has nothing left to prove in the minors, and the team’s top catching prospect Dalton Rushing (23) is so talented that the team may start him in left field next season just to get his powerful bat in the lineup. One-time top prospect Diego Cartaya (only 22 years old) has recently showed signs of reaching his enormous potential, and 20-year-old Jesus Galiz is well regarded for his defense and hit well for the A-level Rancho Cucamonga Quakes in 2024. Yeiner Fernandez (who also plays second base) and Carlos Rojas are both 22 and finding their way through the organization as catchers.
There are so many MLB teams that are pursuing catching help that it would not be a surprise for the Dodgers to include Feduccia or Cartaya in a trade before the upcoming Spring Training.
Reportedly, Mookie Betts will return to the middle infield for the 2025 season (likely second base), which leaves Gavin Lux without a position and possible trade capital.
Outfielder James Outman is an interesting case. He played and hit well for Triple-A Oklahoma City with a .933 OPS and he has been a very good defensive centerfielder, yet the Dodgers acquired veteran Kevin Keirmeir for the stretch drive and postseason. In addition, Tommy Edman is an excellent centerfielder. All things considered, Outman may have played his way into the trade capital category, even if the return is a lower level prospect.
It seems likely that the team would like to find a new home for 34-year-old Chris Taylor and his $13M salary in 2025, but unless traded to help offset an even bigger salary (Nolan Arenado?), Taylor will either be a Dodger, or released before next season.
(Dilip Vishwanat)
Another veteran who could be trade capital is 30-year-old right-hander Evan Phillips, but only if the team re-signs Blake Treinen. Although Phillips ended the postseason on the IL, it was due to arm fatigue after pitching well all year. Late-inning relievers are hard to find and Phillips has done a terrific job for the Dodgers. He will only be traded for a significant return to the Dodgers.
Another reliever who could be available is 37-year-old Ryan Brasier, who has pitched well in the past but could be used in a deal for younger, less-expensive, higher-upside talent.
Trade capital or keepers, it will not be long before we have the answers.
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Outstanding assessment, Jesse! You certainly fired up my Hot Stove!
While I agree with the projections, do feel that something is wrong with the trainers on the Dodger team and farm system. Too many excellent pitchers coming down with season ending injuries in 2024 . Maybe more work should be done to teach the staff to pitch smart instead of hard. More variation of pitching delivery and be more deceptive on how they pitch. Recent success of pitchers like Darvish from the Padres and others have shown that you dont need to pitch at 99mph to be successful in the majors.
From what I have read and heard, the Dodgers are very concerned with the increased injuries to pitchers arms and looking into every aspect of their development and coaching processes. I agree with you that the continued emphases on velocity and spin rate correlates with the increased injuries. I also question whether cutters, sliders, and split-finger fastballs causes additional stress on forearms, elbows, and shoulders. I follow the Dodgers minor league prospects and it seems that the Dodgers are placing more emphasis on change-ups with a great deal of success. I still believe that part of the problem is the demands by recreational leagues, middle and high school, showcase teams, and college coaches on velocity. Also, it seems that some high school and college coaches disregard the effect of high pitch counts and overuse of pitchers to win games. IMO, this is an epidemic that MLB and the Players Association must confront now, not the next union negotiation.