It’s the middle of July and the Los Angeles Dodgers have continued to win. They are currently sitting alone at the top of the National League and they have the best record in baseball. With a record of 64-35, the Dodgers are certainly the team to beat at the moment. There are a few things that I would like to talk about in this post and they are:
- Who the Dodgers are likely to pursue in a trade
- The Dodgers recent series with the Philadelphia Phillies
- Gavin Lux and his ridiculous Triple A stats
- The upcoming series with the Miami Marlins
Who the Dodgers are likely to pursue in a trade?
To get things started, as I have said in my recent posts, it is trade season. As with almost every team that is trying to win the World Series, they are looking to add whatever they can to build the best team possible. The Los Angeles Dodgers only have one main issue that they will address: their bullpen. While their bullpen hasn’t been amazing, it hasn’t been the worst in the world. Certainly the Dodgers could add some more depth to their talented bullpen.
It was reported today that the Dodgers have been inquiring about the Detroit Tigers closer, Shane Greene. The Detroit Tigers are one of the worst teams in baseball and will certainly be sellers this month. Greene, 30, is on an extremely friendly contract this season. What is most impressive about Greene is his current record as the closer. Currently, Shane Greene is sporting a ERA of 1.06 with 35 K’s in 34 innings. The dude is phenomenal and could be used as the Dodgers closer if Kenley Jansen continues to struggle. Imagine a bullpen with Joe Kelly, Shane Greene and Kenley Jansen at the backend, wow.
Another pitcher that the Dodgers may look into is Jake Diekman. Diekman is currently a reliever with the Kansas City Royals, who like the Detroit Tigers, are extremely awful this season. They have already started to sell off pieces and they will continue to do so. Anyone not named Whit Merrifield or Adalberto Mondesi will basically be free game. Merrifield may be moved in an extreme situation where the offer is too good for the Royals to pass up. Anyways, Diekman is a hard throwing left hander that could be acquired from Kansas City without having to part with any real top prospects. The Dodgers could basically steal him away from KC.
The Dodgers recent series with the Philadelphia Phillies
The Dodgers just got back from their East Coast adventure. They went 4-3 against Philly and the Boston Red Sox. The entire road trip was marred by poor weather conditions that kept the Dodgers from playing consistently throughout games. Against the Phillies, the Dodgers split the series. One of those wins was an absolute blowout that resulted in a whole lot of Home Run’s and a 16-2 victory. The other victory came in the extra inning affair that lasted 12 innings.
The two losses that the Dodgers suffered were not the worst, they were just unfortunate. The offense was terrific in yesterdays game but it was the bullpen that ultimately let them down. Matt Beaty had a terrific day, missing out on the cycle by just one hit. Enrique Hernandez hit 2 Home Run’s and collected 4 hits on the day. Overall, the game was good but the combined efforts of Floro, Ferguson and Kelly were not enough. The Dodgers lost by a score of 7-6.
Over their last 20 games, the Dodgers are 10-10.
Gavin Lux and his monstrous season
It is no secret that the Dodgers have a plethora of insanely talented players in the minor leagues. Those players include Dustin May, Will Smith and Gavin Lux. All three of those players mentioned are currently members of the Oklahoma City Dodgers, the Triple A affiliate. The trio of players are having an extremely impressive season that will surely garner some praise from the Dodgers front office. In addition to that, the three players will most likely see major league playing time during September. That is if they aren’t traded in some blockbuster deal at the deadline. I don’t think they will be included in any package, though. Especially Gavin Lux.
Gavin Lux was the Dodgers First Round pick in 2016. The 21 year old is making headlines at Triple A with his impressive hitting. With shortstop and second base being his preferred positions, he is certainly shaping up to be the Dodgers future middle infielder. Which means that Chris Taylor, Enrique Hernandez and Max Muncy could be moved, eventually. With that being said, Gavin Lux is the Dodgers #4 prospect in their farm system and at this point, he may be one player that is completely off limits. Lux is knocking on the door of being in the majors and could possibly be the starter in 2020.
During the 2019 season in the minors, split between Double A and Triple A, Lux is hitting .356 with 20 Home Run’s and 59 RBI’s. Of those 20 Home Run’s, 5 of them have come in the past 5 straight games. Lux is on an unreal tear right now in Oklahoma City. The day can’t come soon enough for when the Dodgers finally have an everyday second baseman and not a platoon of players.
Miami Marlins VS Los Angeles Dodgers
The Miami Marlins come to Los Angeles to face the Dodgers this weekend. They will be facing Hyun-Jin Ryu tonight, Clayton Kershaw tomorrow night and Walker Buehler on Sunday. Should be an absolute blast for the Marlins. I don’t see the Dodgers really struggling during this series but the Marlins do have some young pitchers on their staff that may be able to surprise us. Let’s see if the Dodgers can put together a nice little winning streak this weekend and potentially sweep the Marlins. Next week, the Dodgers will play the Los Angeles Angels for the final Freeway Series of the season.
Leadoff Dodgers 