LA Dodgers Trade Rumors: Sonny Gray, Ryan Braun Could Become Dodgers Acquisitions Before MLB Trade Deadline
LA Dodgers trade rumors have the team in hot pursuit of more offense, but the team has also been linked to more starting pitching as well. One fit for the Dodgers could be Sonny Gray, who is getting shopped around the league by the Oakland Athletics. Gray could provide more depth to the starting rotation for the Dodgers, while not putting a huge dent in the payroll. A report by Ken Rosenthal confirms that it would be a good fit, even though the Dodgers’ rotation has performed very well (as a whole) this season.
When the Dodgers claimed starting pitcher Chris Heston from the Seattle Mariners, it became clear that the front office is concerned about the overall depth of pitching in the organization. As a report by the News Tribune explained, the Mariners designated Heston for assignment after he struggled during his first two appearances. Heston was immediately placed on the 40-man roster by the Dodgers, but he is now in the minor leagues in case the team needs to make a promotion later on.
Regarding these LA Dodgers trade rumors about Sonny Gray, it’s no secret that the Oakland Athletics are trying to acquire prospects in return for him. In five starts this season, Gray has posted a 3.34 ERA and 1.079 WHIP over five starts and 29 2/3 innings of work. The 27-year-old right-hander makes roughly $3.6 million this season and has two more arbitration years left on his contract. If he continues to perform well during the 2017 MLB season, his value will only increase before the trade deadline.
Who’s your player of the game? pic.twitter.com/KAJjMQ0zDi
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) May 28, 2017
So why are these LA Dodgers trade rumors coming up while the team is doing well in the National League standings? The reasoning is that the team resides in third place in the division and has had some problems with consistency by some key names. Hyun-Jin Ryu has a 4.28 ERA and 1.50 WHIP over 40 innings, Rich Hill has a 4.76 ERA and 1.71 WHIP through four starts, and Kenta Maeda has a 5.08 ERA and 1.24 WHIP through 44 1/3 innings of work. Julio Urias performed poorly in his spot starts, posting a 5.40 ERA and 1.59 WHIP over five appearances.
The Dodgers have a lot of big names in the starting rotation, but with the Colorado Rockies (32-19) and Arizona Diamondbacks (31-20) playing so well, the team may have to make moves to contend for a divisional title. There had been a lot of MLB trade rumors about the team acquiring Ryan Braun from the Milwaukee Brewers, with both sides taking part in negotiations as recently as last month. Braun has been dealing with injuries this season that has slowed down the attempts of the Brewers to deal the veteran outfielder for prospects.
When Braun returns from the disabled list, it’s possible that the Dodgers and Brewers could revisit trade discussions. It hasn’t hurt that Chris Taylor has been performing very well for the team at the top of the batting order. He has a 0.327 batting average through his first 101 at-bats this season, possibly living up to the potential he showed while in the minor leagues for the Seattle Mariners. That has been a huge boost for the Dodgers, as the team is trying to deal with Justin Turner going to the disabled list and leaving a huge hole in the batting order.
Dodgers: back-to-back shutouts of Cubs, allow 3/fewer hits in each. A reigning WS champion hadn’t had that done to them in almost 100 years pic.twitter.com/vTZ91NzxeT
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 28, 2017
If the past is any indication of what will take place in the near future, then fans should not be surprised if the Dodgers are involved in a blockbuster trade over the next few months. Management has not been shy about adding pieces to compete each year and that may be the case again if the team slips in the NL West standings. If players like Alex Wood, Chris Taylor, and Andrew Toles keep performing better than expected, though, all of these LA Dodgers trade rumors might just quiet down. Especially if the Dodgers keep shutting out the Chicago Cubs like on Saturday, May 27.
[Featured Image by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images]
