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At the beginning of the season, Friedman showed that the Dodgers were all-in for another title so it makes sense to keep that train rolling.
Danny Duffy is the best rental the Dodgers could acquire
Danny Duffy would be the perfect acquisition for the Dodgers at the deadline. A rental that comes with experience and another league. Usually teams that are selling would prefer to sell to a team that is out of their league so that they wouldn’t have to face them later in the season.
But the Giants and the Padres have also shown interest in this California-native. Duffy does have the option to reject a trade but he is reportedly likely to agree on going to a contender in California. And since all the teams in California are contenders (cutting the Angels some slack), it’s only a matter of who can provide the best package.
Dodgers have assets to make big acquisition
The Dodgers have some good talent at the minor league level and while their depth has been tested, the rotation should take precedence over the lineup. Although the Dodgers have been struggling to score runs lately, pitching tends to produce better results in the playoffs. Giving up some major league ready talent to acquire Duffy shouldn’t be a hard choice.
These next couple of years are the Dodgers best chance to win a title. The Dodgers have made the World Series in 3 out of the last 4 seasons. Kershaw is getting past his prime and many of the Dodgers’ young talent will become free agents in the next few years. Some of them will resign but they could just as easily go elsewhere for higher pay.
Danny Duffy can fit right in for Dodgers’ World Series Push
I’m definitely not stating that the Dodgers can’t build another World Series caliber team after this year, it’s just going to be a lot harder than it would this year. With Buehler, Kershaw, and Urias set to start in the playoffs, Duffy adds a much needed 4th to the rotation.
The Dodgers won’t be looking to sign Duffy at the end of the season either since they will most likely eye younger arms in the offseason. Duffy is currently 33 which isn’t too old, Kershaw is currently 34. But Duffy will likely want a longer contract at the expense of lower annual pay which doesn’t truly benefit the Dodgers.
Return to the West seems imminent for Duffy
All that said, Duffy can definitely benefit from joining the Dodgers before going into free agency. Either the Dodgers or the Padres seem to be the better fit for Duffy. The Padres just acquired Adam Frazier so that could also sway Duffy to favor the Padres.
