The Los Angeles Dodgers are back-to-back World Series champions and are favorites to win a third straight this season, but that doesn’t mean they don’t need some help.
The Dodgers are expected to make some moves to bolster their roster before the MLB trade deadline, and that includes looking for some bullpen help.
However, when it comes to the cream of the crop of relievers in San Diego Padres closer Mason Miller, Los Angeles doesn’t appear to have a chance.
In a recent mailbag, Andy McCullough of The Athletic was asked about the Dodgers’ plans for the deadline, and while he feels Los Angeles will exhaust all possibilities before next Monday, he doesn’t think the Dodgers will be involved in the Miller sweepstakes.
“And so, this deadline is the same story as always for Andrew Friedman. You know the buzzwords. Optionality. Hang around the backboard. Be opportunistic. They are tapped into every market and capable of anything. (Except Mason Miller.),” McCullough wrote.
It’s not hard to see why LA wouldn’t have much of a shot at acquiring Miller.
The Padres are the Dodgers’ fierce NL West rivals, and while Los Angeles has a loaded farm system, it seems highly unlikely that San Diego would help the Dodgers that much.
Perhaps the Padres would consider sending Miller to Los Angeles if the right offer came along, but that would require a vast overpay on the part of the Dodgers. Friedman doesn’t do that.
Los Angeles will have to look elsewhere if it wants to secure some relief help, and you can bet that the Dodgers will not leave any stone unturned before Aug. 3.
Even as currently constructed, Los Angeles should absolutely be viewed as the top contender to win the Fall Classic, but it also seems difficult to envision Friedman not making any significant moves.
Chances are, the Dodgers will swing a blockbuster deal somewhere, whether that’s acquiring Tarik Skubal or completing a surprise trade for another star player.
The idea of Los Angeles acquiring Miller, however, should probably be put to rest.





