3 positions the Dodgers should target over Luis Castillo at the deadline

The Los Angeles Dodgers are always one of the teams to watch during the MLB trade deadline, and that is no different this year. Los Angeles has already been tied to Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Luis Castillo, along with several other playoff contenders.

Castillo is the hottest name on the trade block, and the starting price is already going to be high with him having another season under contract. After making the massive Max Scherzer/Trea Turner deal last season, the Dodgers may not want to get in a bidding war.

That is especially true considering LA is already deep in starting pitching and has more reinforcements coming via Walker Buehler, Andrew Heaney and Dustin May. When those three return, the Dodgers will have seven above-average starting pitchers.

Thus, it probably makes more sense for the Dodgers to prioritize other positions rather than chasing after a starting pitcher like Castillo.

Here are 3 positions the Dodgers should target over Luis Castillo at the trade deadline:

3. Outfield

The Dodgers’ outfield is thinner than it has been in recent years because the team decided to trade AJ Pollock for Craig Kimbrel before the season began. One injury to the outfield was always going to significantly hurt it, and that has been the case thus far this year. Mookie Betts missed time and now Chris Taylor is on the IL.

This has prompted the Dodgers to rely on guys like Trayce Thompson to step up and get playing time in the outfield. While Thompson started red-hot for the Dodgers, he is coming back down to earth and is proving that, at the end of the day, he is still a replacement-level player.

While Cody Bellinger is a great fielder, his bat is also a problem, making the need for a fourth outfielder even higher. Andrew Benintendi is the biggest name on the market, but it would not be surprising if the Dodgers preferred bringing in a right-handed bat.

That being said, Benintendi has been able to hold his own against southpaws this season with a .274/.349/.326 slash line. The power goes away, but he still gets on base at a good clip. Regardless of whether it is Benintendi or someone else, outfield help would be great for LA.

3. Right-Handed Bench Bat

Hanser Alberto has been the team’s primary right-handed bench bat this season and, for the most part, he has not been very good. That being said, he did just deliver the game-winning hit against the St. Louis Cardinals and has been heating up as of late.

If Alberto, with his .587 OPS, is your best right-handed bench bat, then you are going to have problems. While this role is not even in the starting lineup it is still extremely important for the way the Dodgers’ team is built.

The Dodgers are so left-handed heavy, and even some of the team’s right-handed hitters are reverse split guys who fare worse against southpaws. Having that one bat that can rake against lefties to put into a big spot is so huge for October baseball.

It is also something the Dodgers love to have on the roster. Albert Pujols was that guy last year, before him it was David Freese, and before him, it was Enrique Hernandez before he became an everyday starter (and it panned out, with Hernandez blasting three home runs in one game in the 2017 NLCS).

This right-handed bench bat is such an important cog in the wheel for the Dodgers. It does not have to be someone spectacular or someone who needs to even get ample playing time. It just needs to be someone to mash lefties.

What will Dodgers’ rivals do at this year’s trade deadline?

The Los Angeles Dodgers will be buying at the trade deadline, but it's a bit more complicated for rivals such as the Giants and Padres.

Heck, maybe the Dodgers can knock out two birds with one stone and trade for someone like Robbie Grossman. Grossman is a switch-hitting outfielder who has a .943 OPS against left-handed pitching.

Just saying. All three needs matter more than a potential costly Castillo addition.