MLB Trade Rumors: 5 potential fits for Jose Abreu

4. Los Angeles Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers will be linked to most nearly every big name to hit the trade block each season because they have a deep farm system, huge financial resources and an impetus to contend for the World Series year in and year out. Andrew Friedman has been reluctant to deal away his best prospects to push the team over the top, but always finds a way to improve his team by the end of July.

Last season, the Dodgers could have landed Justin Verlander at the deadline if Friedman had been more willing to include Walker Buehler or Alex Verdugo in a trade. Perhaps watching Verlander propel the Houston Astros to the title last year while rental Yu Darvish fell apart with the series on the line is enough to force Friedman into more decisive action this year.

At 20-26, the Dodgers are hardly out of contention in the NL West, but they will likely have to win the division title again to make it back to the playoffs. The most obvious answer is to trade for Baltimore Orioles shortstop Manny Machado to replace Corey Seager, but a power-hitting first baseman could also make sense as a trade target.

There are still numerous factors working against a trade for Jose Abreu over Machado, namely the years of team control left on the first baseman. He will be much more pricey to acquire, and doing so would also force the Dodgers over the luxury-tax threshold. Los Angeles has been working hard to keep that number down in order to reset their penalty for the big free-agent classes coming up.

Because Cody Bellinger has the ability to slide to the outfield with relative ease, the Dodgers are a semi-logical trade partner for the White Sox, but not necessarily at the top of the list.