Dodgers' optimism for injured starters could be the kiss of death at trade deadline

The Dodgers have three starters (four, if you count Shohei Ohtani) who are currently unavailable - none of whom are expected to return until after the All-Star break, if everything goes to plan. Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, and Roki Sasaki have all already experienced bumps in their recoveries, and both the Dodgers rotation and bullpen have looked like they're running on fumes lately.

That might suggest an eventful trade deadline for LA, despite Brandon Gomes' stated intended mission for a quiet one. Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin are in walk years and could be valuable rentals if they stay healthy. Landon Knack and Justin Wrobleski, while not always reliable so far in the majors, could also be dealt to needy teams with a lot less to lose than the Dodgers.

However, Jack Harris of the LA Times made it sound like the Dodgers won't actually be looking to add the likes of Sandy Alcantara or even Walker Buehler at the deadline. Because they're optimistic about the timelines for their injured starters, and are treading water decently enough with Knack and Wrobleski, "it seems unlikely they’ll make overly aggressive moves on the trade market leading up to the July 31 deadline."

The Dodgers are eternally optimistic when it comes to injuries, even if fans find it very hard to buy. Best case scenario, they get all of Snell, Glasnow, Sasaki, and Ohtani back and looking good in the two weeks between the All-Star break and the deadline, but what if they don't?

Dodgers insider hinting at a quiet trade deadline could come back to haunt LA

A lot can change within the next two months, and it's not out of Brandon Gomes, Andrew Friedman, and the Dodgers' front office realm of capability to pull off a trade last-minute, much like they did last season with Jack Flaherty.

Still, it feels a little like the Dodgers could be playing with fire if they start getting complacent now. May, Gonsolin, Knack, and Wrobleski could hold some sway in a trade, and dealing even two of them wouldn't totally cripple LA's pitching depth if the injured four manage to come back down the regular season stretch and into the postseason, even if they arrive a little later than currently expected.

The Dodgers would ideally be starting to look for assurances at the deadline now. If not, then fine; we'll keep our fingers crossed for the rest. Still it's really hard to convince fans that returns are going to happen on time when the Dodgers can't seem to keep anyone healthy in the first place.