Dodgers: 3 trades candidates that can be had before July 1

2. Joey Gallo

The Dodgers love versatile players, don’t they? Well, that’s exactly what Joey Gallo is. He’s a plus defender who can play first base and all three outfield spots … and he came into bigs as a third baseman!

He’s not the most enticing trade candidate due to his struggles with hitting for average, but he’s an on-base machine and has incredible power from the left side of the plate. Put him in a lineup surrounded by stars such as Mookie Betts, Max Muncy, Cody Bellinger and others, and Gallo will see pitches to hit. You can’t say the same about Texas, who only have Adolis Garcia, Nick Solak and Isiah Kiner-Falefa protecting him.

When you look at the Dodgers as a whole, injuries have plagued them. Betts, Bellinger, AJ Pollock and now Muncy have been affected in some way this season, and LA needs to preserve those key players with over 100 games remaining. That means giving them rest when needed, and Gallo’s presence would allow that since he can slot into any of their positions without issue.

And when Roberts takes Muncy or Belli out of the lineup to replace them with Gallo, he won’t lose the lefty bat, power or OBP. Hopefully, the contact will come if he’s among the game’s best sluggers. Given the fact he’s underperforming right now with a .212 batting average, .760 OPS and league-leading 77 strikeouts, it may not cost a whole lot to get him, especially since he’s signed through 2022 with an expected raise in arbitration.

Who knows, maybe LA can figure out a way to package him with this guy…