Dodgers Should Look to Add Justin Verlander

The Dodgers don’t need any help but should they look to add Justin Verlander to their already stacked rotation?

As everyone knows by now, the Dodgers are having a historical season for the ages. They have reached 90 wins faster than any team in Dodger history and are drawing comparisons to some of the greatest teams of all time.

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Obviously, when you are 91-38 you don’t really need anyone, but the Dodgers are always looking for ways to get better. Recently, Los Angeles picked up OF Curtis Granderson from the Mets in exchange for minor leaguer Jacob Rhame.

In less than a week, Granderson has already proven his worth by hitting some big home runs for the team. LA didn’t need Granderson (the move took many people by surprise), but he has made the already great Dodgers lineup even better because his bat is an upgrade over the struggling Joc Pederson.

Another player who the Dodgers don’t necessarily need but could help improve the team, even more, is Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander.

Verlander has remained the subject of trade talks, and Los Angeles could be a prime destination for him. There were rumors of a possible Verlander-Dodgers trade before the July 31^st trade deadline, but they ultimately traded for the much younger ace Yu Darvish.

More and more fans are starting to buy into the Verlander to the Dodgers and going for it all. Emmy Award winning actor Bryan Cranston, most famous for playing meth kingpin Walter White in Breaking Bad, tweeted his support for Verlander to the Dodgers after Rich Hill’s crushing loss Wednesday night.

The hashtag #VerlanderinBlue started trending amongst fans who were in support of the idea. Fans got to see first-hand Verlander dominate the Dodgers in his last start when he beat them. He took a no hitter into the 6^th and allowed only two hits and one run in eight innings against the blue on August 20^th.

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Overall, Verlander in 9-8 with a 3.96 ERA. However, he is heating up at the right time of the season. He has been excellent since the All-Star break, going 4-2 in eight starts with a 2.48 ERA.

He is also someone with a lot of big time playoff experience, posting a 3.39 career ERA in 16 postseason starts. The multitude of recent Dodgers pitching injuries may also push the Dodgers to make a trade for Verlander as well.

Kershaw, Darvish and Wood have all had DL stints (Wood is on it right now), though they are all expected to be before the playoffs start. Verlander provides some insurance just in case sometimes happens to one of those three.

The only issue with trading for Verlander is his contract. He still has at least two years on his contract in which he is going to make $28 million a year.

Do the Dodgers want to pay an aging pitcher that much money for the next two seasons? For Verlander to get traded he would have to clear waivers first. Before the July 31^st deadline the asking price for Verlander might have been too high, but at this point, the Tigers might be in a position where they just want to get rid of that contract.

LA did not want to give up their top two prospects in Alex Verdugo and Walker Buehler for Darvish so they would definitely not part ways with them for Verlander.

Verlander is showing he still has a lot left in the tank. The former AL MVP is pitching like his old ace self in the second half and is only one season removed from finishing second in the AL in Cy Young and leading the league in strikeouts.

Next: Potential NLDS Opponents

If the Dodgers make the move, they could have a dream rotation in a couple of weeks of Clayton Kershaw, Yu Darvish, Alex Wood, Verlander and Rich Hill. Along with them, they would have Kenta Maeda and Hyun Jin Ryu, who have both been pitching great as of late, as protection. What do you guys think? Should Los Angeles pursue a trade for Verlander before the August 31^st waiver deadline?