3 other Dodgers nightmare scenarios at 2025 trade deadline after Emmanuel Clase chaos

It is hard enough for teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers to find and actually acquire the roster reinforcements they want at the trade deadline. You have to have the financial capital to take on new money and the prospect capital to convince sellers to part with the players you want. On top of that, you have factors you cannot control, like guys getting hurt right before the deadline or, as was the case on Monday with Emmanuel Clase, random other wrinkles within the market.

In short, there are a number of ways that the trade deadline can, and probably will, go wrong for the Dodgers in 2025. From rivals swooping in and making moves that hurt LA's chances to the Dodgers betting on the wrong trade targets, it just doesn't take much for things to go sideways. How could that happen this season?

Here is some of the true nightmare fuel scenarios for the Dodgers at the trade deadline

The goal here is to highlight moves/events that could actually happen at the deadline. Yes, trading Freddie Freeman to the Padres for a bag of baseballs would be terrible, but it also wouldn't happen ever. We don't need to completely make up scenarios when their are plenty of realistic AND horrific things that could befall the Dodgers at the trade deadline.

Padres landing Steven Kwan instead of the Dodgers would be brutal

It is hardly a secret that the Dodgers could use some outfield help right now. When one takes a look at the best available players at the trade deadline, Steven Kwan is the best outfielder of the bunch, and the chances he gets dealt just went up after the Clase news. The problem is that the division rival Padres could also use an outfielder, and if they landed the notoriously pesky Kwan, it would probably terrorize LA for years to come.

Insane bidding war over top relievers, pricing Andrew Friedman out of a trade, would be a disaster

The health of the Dodgers' pitching staff (or lack thereof) has been a hot topic - especially lately - and they have long been in the market for a top-end reliever. With Clase no longer an trade option, the problem LA now faces is that the overwhelming number of teams that need bullpen help, which is basically every playoff contender, stays the same, while the perceived supply takes a big hit.

The end result could be a bidding war for a select few names of epic proportions at the deadline. While Andrew Friedman doesn't mind throwing money around in the offseason, he hates overpaying for players at the trade deadline, and he could just sit that market out altogether if that happens.

Dodgers overpaying for Sandy Alcantara would likely be a costly mistake

One name on the trade market that has been monitored since the start of the 2025 season has been former Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara. Everyone knew that Miami was extremely likely to trade Alcantara, and the only question was how he would look coming off Tommy John surgery.

The problem is that his name is worth a hell of a lot more than his production this season, as he boasts a 6.66 ERA (spooky) through 20 starts, and his more advanced metrics are largely a horror show. There is going to be a team that ponies up more than they should to trade for Alcantara, but Dodgers fans need to hope it isn't LA, because the odds that Alcantara helps at all this year are very low.

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