Dodgers insiders hint this top prospect may be untouchable in future LA trade talks

When it comes to trade rumors, it seems as if almost everything is on the table for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have more than enough ammo to go get whichever superstar they prefer and still have a top-ranked farm system in the aftermath of a blockbuster trade.

To this point, most of the discussion has been about which youngsters could be shipped out. Even in the wake of top outfield prospect Kendall George's injury, Los Angeles has a glut of highly-rated young outfielders, making it all but certain that one or more might be moved at the trade deadline.

What hasn't been discussed in depth is who the Dodgers wouldn't be willing to part with. In an indirect way, Fabian Ardaya and Katie Woo of The Athletic (subscription required) may have given us the answer in their latest mailbag column.

Responding to a question about why the Dodgers haven't called up River Ryan in the midst of the injuries to Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell, the duo of beat writers might have given away this part of LA's trade deadline plans.

"The Dodgers remain remarkably high on Ryan, to the point where they will not risk his long-term ceiling for the sake of temporary need on the major-league roster. That’s why the club opted to acquire Eric Lauer. Given the overwhelming success so far, the Dodgers want to keep their six-man rotation in place without rushing Ryan. They’d much rather have the right-hander later in the year, either as a spot starter in the regular season or a firepower weapon out of the bullpen in the postseason," Woo wrote.

"I don’t think anyone would doubt that River Ryan is one of the Dodgers’ 14 (including the Ohtani rule) most talented arms. So being cautious on the front end might keep him as a postseason option," Ardaya added, while explaining the Dodgers' strategy of being cautious early in the year with pitchers on innings restrictions in order to have them available for crunch time later in the year.

The Dodgers' plans for River Ryan have taken him off the table in trade talks

Despite all the injuries, time missed, and his advanced age, Ryan is still the Dodgers' No. 6 prospect according to MLB Pipeline. The big right-hander is fully stretched out, hitting the six-inning threshold in each of his last two starts down in Oklahoma City while consistently touching triple digits on the radar gun.

The idea of having a guy with that kind of talent starting games down the stretch and/or coming out of the playoff bullpen is tantalizing, and apparently something that Los Angeles greatly values.

The most common trade target linked to LA is Tarik Skubal, and the general consensus is that the Detroit Tigers would prefer to receive a young, MLB-ready pitching prospect as part of the return package. Basically, the Tigers wouldn't trade Skubal as part of a rebuild, but rather as a rebalancing of assets with eyes on competing again in 2027.

That's led some to believe that the Dodgers could be the front-runners to land the two-time reigning Cy Young winner, and Ryan has been a staple of mock trade packages. Given that little nugget, it seems highly unlikely that the club would part with Ryan, even if the return was Skubal.

That doesn't mean that Skubal, or anything else, is off the table. Opposing clubs can ask for whichever prospects they like. That does mean that the Dodgers are obliged to give in, or that the market dictates that's what they'll receive.

In the case of Ryan, it seems that LA has big plans for the 27-year-old, and we might as well write his name down on the untouchable list.

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