The Los Angeles Dodgers need help on the mound. Badly. For a team that signed Blake Snell and Rōki Sasaki in the offseason, not to mention adding names like Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates to the bullpen, few could have predicted that things would get so dire on the mound. That's what injuries will do.
As things stand, Snell (shoulder inflammation) and Sasaki (shoulder impingement) are on the injured list (IL) — along with Tyler Glasnow (shoulder inflammation), top-10 prospect River Ryan (Tommy John surgery) and Gavin Stone (shoulder surgery). The Dodgers just aren't healthy enough to field consistent results from the starting rotation, especially as Father Time catches up with Clayton Kershaw.
That means general manager Brandon Gomes and the front office are mound to hammer the trade market. This Dodgers team has unlimited cash and an inherent appeal to any prospective player. While swinging for the fences on a guy like Chris Sale sounds ideal, odds are Los Angeles will settle for an upgrade closer to the median line.
Why not Walker Buehler? The current Boston Red Sox ace, who signed a one-year, $21 million contract in free agency, was in L.A. last season. He pitched the final out in the World Series and was integral to the Dodgers' entire postseason run. It has been a rocky campaign for Buehler in Boston, but we know what the 30-year-old can do when he's healthy and he settles into a groove.
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Dodgers should take interest in Red Sox ace Walker Buehler
Through nine starts in Boston, Buehler has posted a 4.44 ERA and 1.31 WHIP, striking out 42 in 46.2 innings. He has battled through injuries and perhaps the early stages of an adjustment period, but overall, Buehler has not been the most catastrophic cog in the Red Sox' crumbling rotation. Plus, he has a strong enough track record to be reasonably confident in his ability to bounce back, should he land in a more competitive environment.
That $21 million contract is not insignificant, but the Dodgers never seem to run out of cash. There is also a built-in familiarity between Buehler, the coaches and the catcher, Will Smith. He's a Los Angeles native who played some of his best baseball down the stretch of last season. If any team can feel good about what Buehler brings to the table, it's the Dodgers.
As for Boston, this season is quickly coming off the rails. Currently four games below .500 and 9.5 games behind the first-place Yankees in the division, Craig Breslow will need to make a few tough calls at the trade deadline. If the Red Sox can't climb closer to the contender's circle over the next month, cashing in on a soon-to-be free agent like Buehler is the only logical move.
What would it take for the Dodgers to trade for Walker Buehler?
One of the easiest comps from last season was the New York Mets' trade for Paul Blackburn, a similarly productive and injury-bitten starter from the Athletics. In return, 22-year-old pitcher Kade Morris was sent to Oakland; he is currently listed as the A's No. 15 prospect at MLB Pipeline.
Blackburn's contract featured an extra year of club control and a more affordable number, but Buehler counterbalances that by being a slightly more proven pitcher — especially at the highest levels of postseason baseball, which is where the Dodgers' energies are focused right now.
If Los Angeles was willing to cough up a solid pitching prospect for Buehler, such as No. 10 prospect Justin Wrobleski or No. 12 prospect Nick Frasso, that might be enough to get Boston to accept its loss and cut bait.