Dodgers: Starting Pitchers to Acquire via Trade

Gerrit Cole

With only two years left before he hits free agency, Piratesates may look to trade him now and get value rather than wait until next season and get nickles and dimes for him. His name was one that was thrown around before the trade deadline last season, but nothing ever got done. The Pirates will definitely be fielding calls for him, and the Dodgers should be one of the first ones to give them a ring.

He struggled last season as he returned from an elbow injury that plagued him during the 2016 season. Nonetheless, his stuff is electric. A full offseason to rest and fully recover will do him well. Gerrit Cole would be a perfect fit for the Dodgers. He is a right-handed pitcher with a plus fastball that sits in the mid 90’s, with a nasty slider and is adding a changeup to his repertoire.

His command is impeccable. He paints the corners with such precision which only adds to his effectiveness on the rubber. In 2015 he showed just how dominant he could be when healthy. He finished 4^th in the Cy Young race and struck out a career-high 202 batters. In 2017 which was considered to be a down year he fell just four strikeouts short of 200 on the season, showing us his stuff is still elite.

Finally, he fits into what the front office is trying to do; gets younger and cheaper. He is arbitration eligible this year and next year but will still be relatively inexpensive to have on the roster. On top of all of this, he is a local boy. He attended Orange Lutheran High School and went to school at UCLA. It gives the fans just another reason to cheer him on. Cole is a perfect fit for this team, and the Dodgers should attempt to get him to Los Angeles, especially with the trade chips the Dodgers have to offer.