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June 15: Dodgers reportedly 'lurking' in Alcantara sweepstakes
The Athletic's Jim Bowden reportedly recently (subscription required) that the Dodgers are more focused on getting the starting pitchers they already have healthy and geared up for the postseason than adding to their rotation from the outside.
But what if those starters -- Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Roki Sasaki and others -- don't recover as expected? In that case, reinforcements may be necessary, and USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported Sunday that Los Angeles is "one of the teams lurking" for Marlins right-hander Sandy Alcantara.
The 2022 National League Cy Young Award winner, Alcantara's return from 2023 Tommy John surgery got off to a very rocky start this season as he produced an 8.47 ERA and 29 walks in his first 51 innings. But in his past two starts, Alcantara has allowed only two runs and two walks over 12 frames.
His strikeout rate is at a career-low 17.7% while his hard-hit rate (41.7%) is his worst since his 2017 rookie year with the Cardinals, but Alcantara is still expected to be one of the more desirable trade pieces ahead of the Deadline given his track record and his power stuff -- his four-seam fastball still averages 97.3 mph. Even with his struggles this season, Alcantara likely won't come cheap since he is under club control through 2027.
The Dodgers have one of the deepest farm systems in the sport. MLB Pipeline ranked it as the No. 4 system during the preseason, and the club currently has five of MLB Pipeline's Top 100 prospects.
June 13: Health of starters likely to determine Dodgers’ Trade Deadline strategy
The Dodgers’ starting pitching issues are no secret. The club’s rotation ranks second-to-last in MLB in innings and has posted the game’s ninth-highest ERA (4.29). However, that doesn’t necessarily mean Los Angeles is planning to aggressively pursue rotation help at the Trade Deadline.
According to The Athletic's Jim Bowden (subscription required), the Dodgers are focused on getting their myriad of injured starting pitchers healthy for the stretch run. Blake Snell (left shoulder inflammation), Tyler Glasnow (right shoulder inflammation), Roki Sasaki (right shoulder impingement) and Tony Gonsolin (right elbow discomfort) are all currently on the IL. Shohei Ohtani, meanwhile, is still working his way back to the mound after undergoing right elbow surgery in September 2023.
What happens with those pitchers over the next four-to-six weeks will likely play a big role in how the Dodgers approach the Deadline.