After the All-Star break ended, the Dodgers began a series with the Milwaukee Brewers in which they took two out of the three games. Following that series, the Dodgers went to Philadelphia to take on the surprisingly good Phillies and unfortunately lost the series. Finishing up the long road trip, the Dodgers flew to Atlanta to play the Braves and ended up taking three of the four games. The last game of the series was awful but could’ve been a lot worse.
During the road trip, newly acquired superstar, Manny Machado, hit his first Home Run as a Dodger! Not to mention he also came home with a handful of RBI’s. Tonight the Dodgers return to Los Angeles to face the Milwaukee Brewers yet again. This game is a big deal because it is Manny Machado’s first home game as a Dodger! So you can bet your money that my Dad and I will be in attendance!
As I said above, the final game of the Braves series was awful but could’ve been even worse. That’s because it took nine innings for the Dodgers to get a hit off of lefty Sean Newcomb. Luckily, down to the final strike of the game, Chris Taylor saved the day by hitting a ground ball to left field and ruining the no hitter. It’s heartbreaking to see someone’s no hitter get ruined with two strikes and two outs in the ninth inning but, it’s the Dodgers and I don’t think I could handle the backlash if the No Hitter actually happened.
This post is shortened a tad bit but since the Trade Deadline is tomorrow, let’s talk about some big moves that could hypothetically but not actually happen.
- Jacob Degrom being traded to a contending team
This is highly unlikely but certainly something that many fans would enjoy seeing. Degrom is having one of the best seasons as a pitcher and leads MLB in ERA however, his record for the year is terrible because the Mets can’t give him any run support. Hmmm, that sounds like a familiar pitcher? The Mets would demand an extensive list of top prospects and although it is worth the players, most teams won’t go through with the trade even if Degrom was available.
2. Bryce Harper being traded
With this year being his last year as a National (as of now), Bryce Harper might want to experience more than just the first round of the Playoffs. To add on to that, the Washington Nationals may not even make the Playoffs. They are currently a game under .500 and hold the second Wild Card spot. Bryce Harper is having an off year but the change of scenery may help and may convince him to sign with whatever team he goes to. This trade is extremely far fetched but if it does happen it will likely be a deal that is done in the last hour until the Trade Deadline.
3. Marlins reliever corps getting traded to contending teams
Unlike the other two trades I listed, this trade is more than likely going to happen. The Dodgers have been linked to Adam Conley, Kyle Barraclough and Drew Steckenreider. Each of these young relievers are having exceptional seasons and could help any contending team in the Playoffs. Since they each have a few years of team control left on their contracts, they will demand a higher asking price. Not as big as Harper or Degrom but you would certainly see a Top 10 prospect in the trade for one of these players.
I’ve seen lots of people on Instagram that are pretend General Manager’s that just follow everyone else’s decisions but, like I said, they’re just copying what someone else said. People don’t realize that the Dodgers don’t really need any more pitching help. They currently have a six man rotation. Kershaw, Wood, Maeda, Hill, Stripling and Buehler are all in the rotation as we speak. Then you look at the pitchers who are on the Disabled List that will be making a comeback within the next few weeks: Julio Urias, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Tony Cingrani and Josh Fields. So you’ll have seven available starting pitchers and a plethora of bullpen pieces. When the playoffs get here, the Dodgers might have the best all around depth when it comes to pitching.
No one else will have a solid pitching staff like the Dodgers when they can have almost three starters come out of the bullpen during a Playoff game. As usual, the Dodgers best strength is their depth. That is what multiple opposing managers and general managers are envious of in the Dodgers.
Tomorrow is likely going to be a wild day because of the last minute trades that go down. Hopefully there will be some major blockbuster deals that happen. Such as Jacob Degrom or Bryce Harper, if they don’t then oh well! The next time you read my blog, the Dodgers will definitely have a new player and the roster will look different.
Leadoff Dodgers 