The Los Angeles Dodgers have had a lot of success lately. They have gone 3-0-1 in their past three series meetings and are 9-3 in their last 12. It obviously helps that the club is playing well both pitching and hitting, especially after their previous games against the White Sox, Rockies, and Angels.
Over that time, the Dodgers have hit 18 home runs and amassed an OPS of.771, scoring 5.0 runs per game. With a 3.23 ERA over the last 108 innings, the pitching staff has struck out 98 batters. At 8.5 games, the Dodgers’ lead in the NL West has remained intact.
Naturally, they have accomplished this despite having a squad beset by injuries, including those to pitchers Clayton Kershaw, Michael Grove, Walker Buehler, and MVP contender Mookie Betts. Yoshinobu Yamamoto is a possibility for Rookie of the Year. With any hope, those players will return to health and likely just strengthen the Dodgers’ lead in their division.
However, there is still no denying this team’s weakness. The outfield is the location. Additionally, anticipate that the Dodgers will consider their options as the MLB trade deadline draws closer and they look to add to that underperforming team. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, outfielder Randy Arozarena might be struggling in Tampa right now and would be a perfect fit for Los Angeles.
The Dodgers Can Strengthen Their Outfield
Now, Passan does present the more intriguing choice for the Dodgers, which would be to acquire Blue Jays star shortstop Bo Bichette in a really high-profile deal. This would enable Betts to return to the outfield and provide the Dodgers with what Passan refers to as a “Death Star” lineup.
In an article titled “2024 MLB trade deadline: Passan’s top additions for contenders,” Passan wrote this week, “They could take the risk on Arozarena — in the midst of the worst season of his career — and figure joining a lineup with Betts, Hernandez, Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, and Will Smith would help him find his mojo.”
“After a terrible April and May, Arozarena has looked like his usual self in June. With Tampa Bay willing to consider trades, Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman may decide to go back to his old haunts to complete a team that, even without Arozarena, looks like a contender for the World Series.”
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