Andrew Friedman Hints at Dodgers Making Surprise Trade at Deadline

The Los Angeles Dodgers have some decisions to make over the next week before Major League Baseball's Aug. 3 trade deadline.

The Dodgers feel very confident about their internal upgrades coming off the injured list in the coming weeks, and thus could avoid making any blockbuster trades.

At the same time, the Dodgers are vying for a three-peat, and know the time is now to go all-in for another World Series title.

With uncertainty surrounding Shohei Ohtani's knee and Will Smith's neck, it's possible the Dodgers are aggressive in the trade market.

At the same time, it wouldn't be a surprise to see LA have a similar deadline to the one they had last year, when they acquired right-handed pitcher Brock Stewart and outfielder Alex Call, while being involved in a three-team deal that netted them right-handed pitcher Paul Gervase, left-hander Adam Serwinowski and catcher Ben Rortvedt.

“We feel really good about our roster, feel really good about the depth,” Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said to the Orange County Register ahead of the deadline. “So I would say that we’re going into this deadline without necessarily having an acute need — which is definitely the goal in the offseason."

With that being said, Friedman hinted that the team could always stumble upon a surprise deal, like they have in years past.

"That said, there have been a number of moves we have made closer to the deadline [in past years] that weren’t necessarily on our radar 10 days, two weeks out — just from opportunities that pop up," Friedman said.

The Dodgers are getting utility man Kiké Hernández back on Tuesday and All-Star closer Edwin Díaz on Wednesday. Starting pitcher Blake Snell should be back in the coming weeks, while fellow starter Tyler Glasnow could return before the end of August.

The only true question marks are Ohtani and Smith. The Dodgers have maintained confidence that Smith will play again this season and Ohtani will pitch again. However, until those two things happen, they can't be considered a sure thing.

With the injuries to Ohtani, Snell and Glasnow, the Dodgers have a temporary hole in their starting rotation. Thus, they have been linked to Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, who could be moved before the deadline just months before he hits free agency.

Without naming names, Friedman addressed those rumors.

“There aren’t a lot of those guys in the game to begin with and even fewer get moved,” Friedman said of elite players who could raise the Dodgers' talent level. “So over the years that has been an area that we will stay connected to and have lined up on a good number of them whether by trade or free agent signing.

"But that is an area of the market that we will always be engaged with.”

If Skubal is ultimately made available, the Dodgers will certainly be involved. While the Dodgers don't necessarily need him, he obviously makes them better, and the last thing they want is to have to face him in the postseason.

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