The Dodgers have made clear they’re looking to make a splash at the top of the trade market. Most of the focus has been on the pitching side — general manager Brandon Gomes said just last night the front office is seeking “an impact-type arm” — and it seems they’re taking a similar approach to the position players.
Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports that Los Angeles is seeking a significant offensive upgrade in the outfield. The Dodgers have already been tied to White Sox star Luis Robert Jr. Feinsand writes that Rays left fielder Randy Arozarena is also on L.A.’s radar. The Dodgers had been loosely linked to Arozarena over the offseason.
The fit is rather straightforward. Teoscar Hernández could handle right field if the Dodgers added an everyday player in left. Andy Pages could play center field regularly while Jason Heyward would move into a fourth outfield role. Each of Hernández, Arozarena and Pages hit from the right side, meaning Heyward should be able to rotate in against right-handed pitching fairly frequently to keep everyone fresh.
Arozarena started the season terribly. The former All-Star carried a .158/.257/.312 batting line into June. He has caught fire over the past couple months, raking at a .286/.392/.514 clip through his most recent 166 plate appearances. The dreadful spring is taking a toll on Arozarena’s season line, which sits at a pedestrian .211/.313/.395 mark. Considering he’d been a well above-average hitter over his first three and a half years in the big leagues, most teams will probably view his April/May performance as an anomaly.
That’s also true of the Rays, who are shaping up as one of the most interesting teams to watch over the next week. Tampa Bay isn’t out of playoff contention, but they’re sitting at .500 with a 5.5 game deficit in the Wild Card race. A playoff push this year is possible but unlikely. While the Rays aren’t going to orchestrate a complete teardown, they’ll likely consider offers on a host of productive veterans (e.g. Brandon Lowe, Zach Eflin, Zack Littell, Isaac Paredes, Pete Fairbanks). Whether to trade Arozarena is one of the biggest questions facing the front office.
The 29-year-old outfielder is playing on an $8.1MM salary, a little less than $3MM of which is yet to be paid. He’s set for two more arbitration raises before getting to free agency during the 2026-27 offseason. The Dodgers are in the highest tier of luxury tax penalization and face escalating penalties for exceeding the CBT threshold in at least three straight years. They’d owe a 110% tax on any contracts they absorb.
Who is available for the dodgers to give up though?
My wife likes to tell me there are no stupid questions only stupid answers. Hang on while I check with her again.
Lol you don’t have a wife.
Actually I do and she says we should make an exception for you and let you do your own research. But I’ll take pity on you an suggest you start here:
milb.com/oklahoma-city/roster
That’s what someone who doesn’t have a wife would say
I thought I was the only one who pretended to have a wife.
It’s okay, nobody believes you anyway.
I’m sure she likes to pretend that you don’t have a wife either..
I’m jk, buddy.
It’s more a question of what are Tampa’s needs? (I have no clue). Are they a team looking for pitching? Or are they like Detroit who only wants position players?
CATCHER!! Please for the love of god someone kick Alex Jackson off this team. Next would be OFers, SS, and 2B. Rays don’t usually go for pitchers in trades like this so I assume it would be one of these positions.
If there’s one thing the dodgers have an influx of it’s catching prospects
God this team makes me sick! Eflin will also go. At this point if they don’t win 3 titles in 5 years it’s a bust. Sickening.
your whining turns me on
I actually laughed at that.
🙂
Some jokes just write themselves.
Of course they are.
Rays have Shane M back next season. Springs will be back soon. Bradley has emerged as a top of the rotation arm. Randy could be traded. If the pieces coming back gets the Rays attention. Elfin will be expendable & the Rays can take advantage of a buyers market.
When does the Franco guy come back? They should maybe consider moving on once he’s back in playing shape.
Never.
He’s forever stuck in the minors.
I don’t know if you’re being funny, so I’ll give you the serious answer. He’s been officially charged and the Rays have moved him to the restricted list which means he no longer gets paid. If he’s cleared of all charges (a big if), he will still need to get a Visa back into the US to resume his career, which would not occur until after a lengthy suspension. I don’t see him ever playing for the Rays again though.
It would be quicker to say who they’re not interested in.
I always just assume the Dodgers are linked to every top name in baseball. It’s never enough with them.
You spelled Padres wrong. They literally are and have been the last few seasons everything you think the Dodgers are.
Only 2-3 other teams have the resources.
It takes more than HAVING the resources. Ask a Red Sox fan these last few years.
Sure, as soon as the Rays start their own cable network and sign the biggest names in the game EVERY SEASON and give out double-digit extensions to non offenders, maybe then they can do what the Dodgers do.
Arozarena would be an interesting fit in LA. He would add some energy. I don’t think that’s their biggest need though.
Their biggest need is to replace the dead wood (Taylor/Barnes/Biggio/Hernaandez) with at least replacement level players.
I hear Betts and Muncy are available as replacements.
Good health fixes most of that dead wood. They need more starters.
Those everyday players kill them.
The battling line for Barnes: .261/.330/.318/.648. Most teams would be thrilled with that kind of production from a backup catcher, especially one as beloved by pitchers as he is.
Taylor is trending upward after a dreadful start, and Enrique Hernandez did have a pretty good game the other day.
The key for the Dodgers is getting Muncy and Betts back. Adding a bat wouldn’t hurt either, anything to make players like Taylor and Hernandez bench bats for specific matchups and to give days off.
Biggio gonna end up odd man out, CT n Kike both been on tear past week. Barnes is backup C n his plus ability is behind plate. He did hit bomb cpl nites ago. What Dodgers need is run of good health, got the pieces.
The Randy over the last 2 months is the Randy I am willing to keep the rest of the season. The Randy the first 2 months of the season was a totally different story. The Rays would need a MLB ready OF coming back in a Randy or Eflin trade.
Always a risk and with the Rays history, other teams know he’ll likely be traded rather than paid in his last two arb years. More likely the return will be players one to two years from being ready. Otherwise, a team might just go with the talent they’d be giving up. Not saying I would do the trade from either side but Roman Anthony of the Sox comes to mind as part of a package for both players mentioned.
Would rather grab Winker and Finnegan from the Nats and make a push for Bichette. Winker will allow J-Hey to fall back into a reserve role and Finnegan has pitched well this season, although he possibly has some regression coming. We drafted a SS in the first round this year but there aren’t any SS prospects that have can’t miss on them in the system. Alex Freeland looks pretty solid but he’s still a year out. Bichette should bounce back and perform well in our lineup.
no
Insightful.
Didn’t Bichette’s leg just fall off?
I think it just hurts from playing for the Blue Jays
Bichette has been in downward spiral since second half of last season. Rather have Betts stay there n add more pop in OF or 3rd if they think Muncy will miss playoffs.
No, thank you.
Big surprise I wonder why teams want arozarena
If Texas keeps winning I could see them getting Randy since his value is down.
Is Arozarena’s value down? Rays don’t have to trade him and he’s been hitting around 140 wRC+ for the past 2 months. If another team wants him, they’re probably going to have to pay the price he had in the offseason and ignore the first 5 weeks of the season.
Arozarena has been so good in the postseason and that’s what the Dodgers sorely need. They lost that when they allowed Seager to walk.
I think that stupid week off before the postseason is what has hurt this team the most
I didn’t know Randy Arozarena’s first name was just Randy.
In North America Randy is like Kyle. It’s the personification of a dirtbike that runs on Mountain Dew, then gradually transitions to running on meth.
The differences in cultures around the world are crazy. What a time to be alive.
So it’s not short for Randall ??
In Canada it equates to an assistant trailer park supervisor.
Bo Bandy!
The Dodgers are interested in someone?? Color me SHOCKED!
TB will face a lot of competition to grab a WC but if I am them I don’t trade Arozarena anywhere. His results have been much better in the last month or so. He supposedly bulked up in offseason too much and he is adjusting. Losing weight, more flexible
I can see them trading 1 or 2 starting pitchers by the deadline. They have many young talented pitchers (that cost less $) getting healthy now and early next year in 2025
Keep Paredes also and Diaz (Although resticted list is serious)
Family issue I don’t know about what and I don’t want to speculate.
TB is a fun underdog team to route for with such a small budget, also CLE, MIL, PIT etc. It’s too bad they have to play in that horrible stadium.
Mookie’s going back to SS. Lux will play 2B.
Lux was just named NL player of wk. Had multiple hit gms while showing power. Maybe he turned a corner ?
Arozerana and Littell for the Dodgers younger catching prospect Thayron Liranzo and LH arm prospect Jackson Ferris. Not sure they want to take on both Eflins ad Aroz contract with their tax situation. so they can afford Littell who gives them depth at the back end with all their injuries or use him out of the pen. They give up some of their long range future for some much needed help for the stretch run and play-offs.
Come on Budman. That ain’t nearly enough value to get Arozarena.
BTV has the ir value almost equal. Aroz’s value is low because of his output tis year ,and two more years of arbitration (starting at about 12-13 million next year that someone has to take on.. That may be the rub in a Dodgers geal as they are already into the the third year of luxury tax that over doubles his contract for them. Maybe the Rays could get a bit more for him on that account from LA but they are also reducung their payroll greatly by trading him now. Littell;s value is higher because of his 600 k for the rest of the year, decent back end numbers, age and two more years of arbitration at a 2 milllion dollar point now.
I would still like Rushing from LA but his value is way too high unless the Rays add Eflin to the deal
BTV may have an accurate valuation for Aroz, but the Rays won’t be trading him for $7MM. Maybe around $15-20MM. Aroz has been hitting around 140 wRC+ since May 1st and appears headed toward his normal production level by year end. There’s no reason for a haircut at this point.
Arozerana is below average outfielder defensively…..Not making plays on defense and allowing runs negates runs batted in. He has less WAR than Heyward with 3 times amount of games played/at bats. If the Dodgers do a deal with TB, I’d rather the Dodgers went after Paredes. They could use the help at 3B….especially against LH pitching.
Paredes will also cost quite a bit more than Arozarena will. As for WAR, it depends on which WAR you’re referring to. By fWAR, Aroz is beating Heyward 0.9 to 0.6.
Fair points. But still, to only be .3 WAR better after having played almost 3 times as many games?? It would be more of a lateral move IMO.
No doubt that Paredes will cost more, but he would actually be a significant upgrade to a position of need.
This makes me ill to read, is there anybody this piece of garbage buy-everyone franchise won’t purchase? The sport is a disaster and I can’t believe their “fans” in that awful city defend it. Like “oh your owner could spend too!” Shut up. That’s absurd. LA has unlimited funds from the richest ownership group in baseball and crazy amounts of gate and tv money; owners aren’t going to spend personal funds on players. The Dodgers are shoving it down everyone’s throats and Manfred won’t do jack about it. The greatest justice in the history of the world would be if the Dodgers don’t win their first legit title since 1988 this year but I doubt we’ll be that lucky. So by all means, spend $1B but keep saying you “need” players to appease your rotten spoiled phony fans.