MLB trade rumors: Dodgers should make these 5 moves

4. Trade for Sonny Gray

With Clayton Kershaw at the top of the rotation, the Dodgers do not need to try to swing a deal for Gerritt Cole, Yu Darvish or any of the other aces who could be available at the trade deadline. That’s just as well, as they may not have the pieces in any case.

But the team definitely could use a middle-of-the-rotation guy who could eat innings and ease the pressure on the likes of young Julio Urias and the inconsistent Kenta Maeda and Hyun-Jin Ryu.

Gray, the one-time ace of the Oakland A’s, would fit the bill.

Gray was an All-Star in 2015 and looked like a rising star. But he battled injuries last season and was terrible when he pitched (5.69 ERA in 22 starts).

The right-hander missed the first month of the season with a lat injury, but he’s back and looked decent in his second start Sunday.

Oakland already trails the Houston Astros by seven games in the American League West. If they can’t get back into contention over the next six weeks or so, expect them to make Gray available (assuming he stays healthy).

If that happens, the Dodgers should be at the front of the line. He will cost less in prospects than Darvish of Cole, he’s making a reasonable reasonable $3.6 million and he’s under team control through the end of the 2019 season.

It also doesn’t hurt that Gray has postseason experience, having made two effective appearances against the Detroit Tigers in the 2013 American League Division Series.