The Dodgers have traded for a few pitchers and a backup catcher so far, but fans have been waiting impatiently to see if Michael Conforto will be sent packing after Thursday's deadline. James Outman also left LA in the Dodgers' Brock Stewart trade, so they'd need some outfield depth even if Conforto wasn't an issue for the outfield.
Jeff Passan reported on Thursday afternoon that the Dodgers were acquiring Nationals outfielder Alex Call, and Mark Feinsand added that LA would be giving up two pitching prospects — Eriq Swan (No. 16) and Paul Liñan (No. 20) in return.
Call could be a bench replacement for Outman, but he could also be the Conforto replacement we've been waiting for. Conforto is literally one of the worst offensive outfielders in baseball, so anyone would be an upgrade. Call might not be the huge star fans were expecting, but he's been a solid bat through his last three seasons.
This year, he's hitting .274 with a .756 OPS and is managing to stay healthy and consistent after a 2024 constantly spent going up and down from the majors.
Fabian Ardaya speculated that Call could form a platoon in left field with Conforto rather than outright replace him, as Conforto might've done enough to save his spot on the roster after an unexpectedly strong July.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are acquiring outfielder Alex Call from the Washington Nationals, a source tells ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 31, 2025
Dodgers trade two pitching prospects for Nationals outfielder Alex Call
It's still not great that the Dodgers have to platoon a player that they spent $17 million on in the offseason, but Andrew Friedman and Dave Roberts' please for patience with Conforto actually did manage to pay off in July — just in time to save him from a nasty DFA. He's batting .273 with an .827 OPS this month in a drastic turnaround from a .175/.595 June.
Call was strangely optioned and recalled multiple times last season despite making solid impressions in basically every short stint in the majors. He finished the year with a .343 average, .950 OPS, and 1.5 bWAR in just 30 games. He's been a solid defensive outfielder and has above-average plate discipline — by all accounts a stronger substitute outfielder than James Outman at the plate.
The Dodgers have less than 45 minutes to really make the big splash that everyone expects from them, but Call is a nice pickup to add to their relatively small haul so far.
