What do the Dodgers really need at the trade deadline?
There’s no doubt that the Dodgers need another starter. There are less than 70 games left in the season and I, like everyone else with a pulse AND an emotional investment in this team, can’t really see a future where Brett Anderson (as good as he’s been), Carlos Frias, Brandon Beachy (fresh off TWO TJ surgeries), Mike Bolsinger, Zach Lee and maybe even the likes of Trevor Cahill make 40 starts between them. Well, I could see that future, but it wouldn’t be great for the Dodgers.
It’s not that LA can’t get serviceable starts by any combination from those players–they can–it’s just that you’re betting on Black 15, Red 28 and Red 12 rather than plain old boring Red. It’s a huge gamble that those arms are going to get the Dodgers to the postseason… and we’re not even broaching that subject yet. Anderson could break down any day (and he has), Beachy is going to be inconsistent at best after his injuries, Bolsinger has inexplicably gotten through half a season despite throwing two pitches, Frias has been solid but just for stretches and guys like Ian Thomas, Lee, and Cahill can’t be trusted for more than a spot start.
That being said… the cavalry is on the horizon, theoretically. David Price may be available. Cole Hamels has been and forever will be available. If the Dodgers want to create the best 1-2-3 punch in the league, it’s more than a possibility.
The real questions are: would that be worth the cost? And is it necessary?… Read more...