The Los Angeles Dodgers failed to produce a thrilling conclusion to their disorganized first half. It is not exactly inspiring to go into the All-Star break having lost six of their previous seven games, the last two of which were horrific.
However, the problems with this roster extend beyond a poor series or two. When the Dodgers play the Boston Red Sox again on Friday, not all of the issues will have been resolved.
There will be plenty to watch for in the second half, especially in the next two weeks.
Who do they target at the trade deadline?
The Dodgers’ associations with certain names are rather clear. Tarik Skubal would meet the needs of almost all of the competitors. The right-hander for the Detroit Tigers is still under club control and is a proven top-shelf starter. Even though left-hander Garrett Crochet of the Chicago White Sox is worried about his possible workload this autumn, Crochet still maintains club control. An outfield in dire need of an offensive upgrade would be provided by bringing in Luis Robert Jr. or Randy Arozarena, with Teoscar Hernández being the most reliable against right- and left-handed pitching. Good middle-infield choices are hard to come by (well, besides Luis Rengifo of the Los Angeles Angels, whom the Dodgers have already attempted to trade).
Crossing the finish line with an agreement is another matter. If a seller’s market contributed to the Dodgers’ reluctance to completely commit to a trade at the last deadline, then that is the new normal. The FanGraphs model indicated that at the half, 21 out of 30 clubs had a minimum of a 10% chance of qualifying for the postseason. There is also no certainty that others, including the Cincinnati Reds (8.6%) and Tigers (7.2%), will sell.
Who goes then? Aside from rental options like outfielder Tommy Pham, reliever Tanner Scott, and starter Jack Flaherty, it might be another quiet trade deadline. Additionally, the Dodgers may be more receptive to adding players to help them finish the season after witnessing their pitching collapse over the past month.
Who is going to be healthy?
Dave Roberts volunteered some good news Sunday afternoon. As the manager went through his list of injured players — a daily exercise at this point — he said he spoke with Mookie Betts, the former MVP, that morning. Betts has started taking some softly-hit groundballs with his broken left hand. All appears to be going as planned with the club’s Opening Day shortstop. Betts’ return to the lineup would help paper over plenty of issues.
Regarding the rest of the group? On Friday, Jason Heyward might be back in the starting lineup. Clayton Kershaw might return the following week, though he will need to start at least one more rehab game in the minors. Despite being placed on the disabled list, Tyler Glasnow has persisted in throwing, suggesting a potential early comeback. Joe Kelly might return to the bullpen following the All-Star break, according to Roberts, while Brusdar Graterol might be available by the end of the month.
That may be the last reinforcement before the trade deadline on July 30. Even if being healthy seems like a promising answer to some of the Dodgers’ problems, there is no assurance.
Max Muncy has not picked up his bat yet. His oblique injury still causes him discomfort, which baffles some who thought his time in the IL would be considerably shorter. The longer Muncy’s recuperation takes, the more likely it is that the Dodgers will consider that when making their deadline choices.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto has just taken up throwing again. Typically, it takes a pitcher’s length of time off from the mound (about one month, in Yamamoto’s case) to regain strength and conditioning. Yamamoto’s transfer to a 60-day IL (he can not go back until August 15) was therefore, if nothing else, purely formal.
Walker Buehler is not under club control and continues to train at Cressey Sports Performance in Florida. Although there has been “conversation” between the parties, it is unclear whether a schedule has been established.
Dustin May is no longer an option.
What about the bottom of the order?
The Dodgers, who have the most top-heavy lineup in baseball, have been preaching patience for months. However, the problem has not been resolved: the combined batting average of Dodger batters who are not Betts, Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, Hernández, or Muncy is.218/.288/.336, or an 80 wRC+.
“Absolutely (surprised),” Roberts said. “We all knew it was going to be top-heavy, but the delta between the top and bottom, I don’t think anyone expected that. If you look at the baseball cards of those guys, I didn’t expect it to be this stark.”
This, even if Miguel Rojas had a breakthrough year. Both Andy Pages and Heyward have mostly had league-average offensive production, despite their huge platoon splits. Miguel Vargas, although playing seldom, has a good batting line.
The sample size is sufficient to determine that the Dodgers need to address the deficiency in productivity at the bottom of the lineup. Roberts said at the beginning of July that men have an opportunity to demonstrate their membership.
Have they?
“At times, at times,” Roberts said last weekend. “Every day is a test. So we’ll see. … I think everyone knows. We’ve got to keep playing them, and we’ll see how it goes.”
October is too soon to continue as is. There will be a performer. Or adjustments will need to be made.
(Photo of Shohei Ohtani: Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)
