Dodgers: Latest Royals trade rumor could help LAD fix lineup woes

The injuries continue to pile up for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have been able to weather the storm and maintain the second-best record in all of Major League Baseball.

Admirable. However, Andrew Friedman has a lot to patch up on this roster before the July 30 trade deadline if the organization is serious about going for back-to-back World Series titles.

Starting pitching? Yup. A must. Bullpen support? Always. Can never have enough.

But have we considered making the lineup more flexible both offensively and defensively?

That’s certainly farther down the to-do list, but the Dodgers never shy away from making luxurious acquisitions that put them well beyond the rest of baseball in a specific regard.

Once Friedman is done zoning in on his pitching targets, why not call the Kansas City Royals about All-Star second baseman Whit Merrifield?

Would Whit Merrifield be a perfect fit with the Dodgers?

According to Jayson Stark of The Athletic, the Royals “appear more open than in the past” to trading Merrifield, who could cost a grand total of $6.5 million through 2022. Such a trade for the two-time MLB hits leader won’t be cheap, but the Dodgers sneakily need the help.

They rank 25th in MLB with just 29 stolen bases on the year. Merrifield leads baseball with 25 stolen bags in 26 tries. Another issue? Gavin Lux is out and there’s no timetable for his return. Merrifield, primarily a second baseman, can also play all three outfield spots. If he can fill in for Lux in the interim, take over at second base when needed when Lux returns (face it, Lux has not been great this year), and then serve as a roaming band-aid in the outfield for whatever injuries the team is dealing with, then it’s hard to envision the Dodgers missing much of a beat … ever.

The Dodgers are constantly hobbled in the outfield this year as well. Cody Bellinger hasn’t been the same since his shoulder/leg injuries, Mookie Betts’ back/hip issues have contributed to a down year, and the team certainly cannot trust AJ Pollock to remain able-bodied for the duration of an entire season.

Who knows, maybe the Dodges are already talking to Kansas City about relievers (Scott Barlow, Josh Staumont, Kyle Zimmer and Jake Brentz) and can make this a bigger deal? Won’t rule it out until 4 p.m. ET next Friday.

Dodgers can cross potential Royals trade target off their list

The Los Angeles Dodgers can likely cross potential Royals trade target, left-hander Danny Duffy, of their list ahead of the deadline.