Dave Roberts’ Dodgers trade deadline take isn’t as crazy as the media thinks it is

While the Los Angeles Dodgers are typically penciled in as buyers at the MLB trade deadline, Andrew Friedman, Dave Roberts and Co. have played coy about their plans for August 3.

Namely, the Dodgers don't really have any glaring weaknesses, and are well-positioned to contend for their third-straight World Series title. Why mess with a good thing, especially when that 'thing' has the best record in baseball once again?

This type of thinking — alongside the simple fact that Roberts has to manage his current roster without bringing on unwanted distractions from the media — is likely what prompted his most recent comment. Roberts went as far as to suggest the Dodgers could sell, rather than buy, given the amount of major-league talent residing on the farm.

“I could almost argue that we’re sellers more than buyers,” Roberts told The California Post.

Why the Dodgers could sell at the MLB trade deadline

One look at the Dodgers roster reveals some holes. Yes, Will Smith is out for the foreseeable future. Edwin Diaz is expected to make his return to the Dodgers closer role, but who knows how productive he'll be after elbow surgery? And Los Angeles' rotation, with oft-injured starting pitchers Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow at the forefront, could always use some reinforcements.

Yet, those footnotes ignore what the Dodgers have built. Dalton Rushing has filled in for Smith rather nicely, and Roberts sounds comfortable asking the former top prospect to catch in the postseason. Diaz has performed well in his rehab appearances, and the Dodgers still have Tanner Scott and Alex Vesia in the back end of the bullpen. And LA's current rotation, headlined by surprising standouts Justin Wrobleski (an NL All-Star, mind you) and Eric Lauer (a 3.12 ERA in six starts for Los Angeles) have been just fine.

And don't get me started on Roki Sasaki, who just went 5.2 scoreless innings against the New York Yankees and can serve in a bullpen role if needed.

The scary truth about this Dodgers team is that they don't have to add at the MLB trade deadline, but certainly still can. It's an ideal position to be in for any organization, let alone one with limitless resources.

Just a few weeks ago, I compiled a list of Dodgers trade deadline assets who weren't as safe as they think. From that list, I'd drop Wrobleski and Rushing for obvious reasons. Assuming the Dodgers don't add at the deadline, they are imperative to this team's success down the stretch. Yet, look no further than Lauer and Alex Call, two players who have out-kicked their coverage in 2026, as plausible subtractions from the big-league squad.

That doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of a deep minor-league system. Could River Ryan, still working his way back from serious surgery, become a trade asset instead of more relief help for LA? What of Emmet Sheehan, a young controllable starter who's been mentioned in Tarik Skubal trade talks? The options are endless, and no one knows this Dodgers roster inside and out like Friedman.

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