Dodgers: Danny Salazar should be a trade option for the Dodgers

The offseason came and went without a single noteworthy acquisition by your Los Angeles Dodgers. Now that the big target of Yu Darvish is gone, it is time to find another piece to add. Danny Salazar of the Cleveland Indians should be that guy.

The Dodgers rotation is already deep enough to last an entire season and perform well. After all, this rotation is essentially identical to the team that was 44 games above .500 before Darvish joined the team. The problem with the rotation will come in the playoffs.

With the only right-handed starter in the rotation being Kenta Maeda. The team is desperately lacking another right-handed arm, especially if Roberts expects to use Maeda the same way he did last postseason then the need will become even more of a necessity.

Yes, this need could be filled with splashier names than Danny Salazar, but he is a very solid pitcher to have in a rotation. He would help balance out the rotation, and he would not cost the Dodgers much compared to bigger names like Marcus Stroman and Chris Archer. But he would still be a welcomed addition to the team.

In 2017 Salazar had an ERA+ of 107 while Archer had his at 101. In fact numbers wise he is very much comparable to Archer. In most major categories he is equal to or better than Archer. The only real advantage Archer has over him is innings pitched. Other than that Salazar is even with Archer. For a much lower price than Archer, Salazar performs just as well, if not better.

Salazar was an all-star in 2016 with the Indians. He has a career ERA of 3.82 and career WHIP of 1.263. The Dominican born pitcher has shown some flashes of absolute brilliance at times. At one point striking out ten batters in 3 2/3 innings. Salazar can be absolutely filthy at times but does have his occasional problem locating his pitches.

Outside of that minor problem, the bigger issue facing him at the moment is an injury to his shoulder. There is a report saying he will not be ready by opening day. Which could be some cause for concern for the Indians and any team that may be looking to acquire the right-hander.

Shoulder injuries are nothing to mess around with, especially with pitchers. This type of injury is the kind that can absolutely ruin a pitchers career. This is worsened with Salazar’s injury history. He has had constant issues with his injuries. If it isn’t his elbow, it is his back and now his shoulder.

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Any deal for Salazar will require an extensive physical to make sure he would be healthy for the 2018 season. This is a huge x-factor for the Indians. Salazar’s health could factor into how they handle him in their rotation. The less he is needed, the lower his price becomes which is good for the Dodgers or any team wanting to acquire him.

Now, what would it take to acquire Salazar?

I think the Dodgers are the perfect trade partner with the Indians. With Salazar, the Indians have a pitcher with a heavy injury history that can be very good when healthy. The Dodgers, on the other hand, have a pitcher with a heavy injury history that can be very good when healthy. His name is Hyun Jin Ryu.

A swap between the two clubs could be helpful for both teams. The Indians have a heavily right-handed rotation and could benefit from switching it up and acquiring a left-handed pitcher, while the Dodgers are on the opposite end of the spectrum wanting right-handed pitching to offset the heavy lefty rotation.

They are perfect trade partners even more so because the money being move would be nearly identical with the Dodgers saving about two mil by trading Ryu for Salazar and every single dollar counts as they try to stay under the luxury tax threshold. Both have an extensive injury history which would help the front office deal with acquiring one of them knowing the other will be gone.

That is just one option for the deal. Another player that could be moved for Salazar could be Joc Pederson. A player who has fallen victim to the depth of the Dodgers outfield could be a player that is enticing for Cleveland. Joc looks like he will be lost in the shuffle this season after losing his job to Chris Taylor last season and having to compete for left field with four other very worthy candidates.

Joc could create some stability for the Indians who have struggled to keep a stable outfield due to injury and lack of production. This would also help clear the way for Alex Verdugo to make his jump to the bigs sooner rather than later.

Next: Predicting who will make up the Dodgers bench

Danny Salazar may not be the flashiest of names and might be a liability because of his injury history. However, if he is healthy the price for him will be nothing compared to that of Chris Archer even though they are very comparable. The Dodgers should look to add a right-handed pitcher, and Danny Salazar can be a perfect fit.

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