3 NL teams Dodgers need to be worried about at trade deadline

It’s true, the Los Angeles Dodgers usually run the show at the trade deadline, but this year’s National League playoff race — especially with an expanded field for the first time, signaling a true chaotic deadline on the calendar — is going to be baseball’s version of the Wild West.

On top of that, the Dodgers’ needs — pitching in all areas, outfielders and depth — are just about what everyone else will be looking for. And those contending this year who have yet to sniff a fraction of LA’s success over the last decade might be a little bit more desperate to pay escalated prices in the name of making things happen now.

In the NL, there are two division races separated by two games or fewer and a Wild Card race with six teams realistically in contention. That latter aspect of the playoff race is what the Dodgers might have to worry about in the weeks leading up until Aug. 2.

The expanded playoff format has now created a sense of “anything can happen,” much like the NFL’s way of doing business. Just get in and let destiny take care of the rest. Get hot at the right time, and you might just be on the fast track to the Fall Classic.

Not to mention, some of these teams possess a “now or never” mentality given the work they’ve conducted in free agency and on the trade market the last few years.

In Andrew Friedman we trust, but a number of other executives will be out for blood in their attempt to acquire more top talent before the window closes.

3. Philadelphia Phillies

Don’t laugh, Dodgers fans! Dave Dombrowski’s work on the 2018 Boston Red Sox sank you in the World Series! Yeah … we didn’t think Steve Pearce was much of an acquisition either, but here we are.

Now, Dombrowski’s running the show in Philly, and the Phillies cannot afford to miss the playoffs again. They’re one game out of a Wild Card spot and eight games back of the Mets in the NL East, but possess a pretty fearful lineup when Bryce Harper is healthy and the rest of their sluggers are close to the top of their game.

Plus, with Harper injured, the Phillies will be in the market for another outfield slugger who they’ll be able to deploy at DH once Harper is ready to return. That’s not their chief need, though — like the Dodgers, they need any and all pitching possible.

Though they have the 26th-ranked farm system, Dombrowski is famous for gutting a franchise’s arsenal of prospects in the name of winning right now. No reason to think that philosophy will change, which will make the Phillies a threat in the chase for most available names at the deadline.

1. Atlanta Braves

The Dodgers lived this nightmare in 2021, and they’d be foolish to overlook the Atlanta Braves again. General manager Alex Anthopoulos opted to buy at last year’s trade deadline when his team was under .500, and the moves he made resulted in a World Series title that featured a six-game triumph over LA in the NLCS.

Nobody thought Eddie Rosario, Jorge Soler, Adam Duvall, Joc Pederson, Chris Martin or Richard Rodriguez would turn that team into a true contender … but they all did! And the joke’s on us.

The Braves have taken last year’s energy and seamlessly transition into 2022 without Freddie Freeman. At the moment, they’re on the Mets’ tail for the NL East and are leading the NL Wild Card race by 5.5 games. Their pitching is scary good and their offense has been arguably the best in baseball since the start of June.

And there’s room to add! They need a second baseman, could probably use another starter with Charlie Morton and Ian Anderson slipping, and, again, relief help is always welcome once the marathon is in full force. Anthopoulos is one of the few who can rival Friedman’s creativity, and as long as the Braves are in contention, he’ll be right there to do his best to zig while everybody else zags.

The Mets, Brewers and Padres are tough opponents as well, but all of them have some sort of restriction to deal with, whether it be their financials or a seriously plummeting farm system. The Dodgers need to keep an eye on the opponents with a greater potential to surge, and the Braves top that list without a doubt.

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