Dodgers’ rumored interest in Twins outfielder may foreshadow expanded trade deadline

Eric Cole

Jul 9, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins left fielder Willi Castro (50), center fielder Harrison Bader (12), and right fielder DaShawn Keirsey Jr. (21) celebrate after defeating the Chicago Cubs at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images / Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Most of the attention around the Los Angeles Dodgers lately has been with their need for arms. That is certainly fair given the number of pitcher injuries they have dealt with (and continue to deal with) in 2025 and their lack of bullpen depth overall, but the Dodgers could also really use some help in their outfield. The Dodgers had already shown trade interest in the Cardinals' Brendan Donovan if St. Louis decides to make him available, but another outfielder also appears to be on LA's radar.

With their Michael Conforto experiment crashing and burning this season, the Dodgers could really use a left-handed hitting outfielder to help balance out their lineup against righties. That certainly explains the Donovan connection, but another name that doesn't quite fit that mold that apparently the Dodgers have expressed trade interest in is Harrison Bader.

Current Dodgers trade rumor mill has Harrison Bader a potential deadline target

While Bader does bat righty which is not ideal for the Dodgers' needs, he does bring a lot to the table. He does have a little bit of pop and will generally give you a .700+ OPS every yeah, but he is also a tremendous defender which raises his floor quite a bit.

Given the state of the trade market for hitters, the Dodgers either going to have to really pony up for the top names on the market that everyone is going after or settle for imperfect fits like Bader. While not the sexiest option, Bader is going to defend well regardless of how much he hits and has a mutual option for 2026, so there is no long-term commitment with him if things don't work out.

The Dodgers are certainly going to make moves at the trade deadline and will probably be a better team when the dust settles. However, the Bader trade chatter is a stark reminder that even though LA often steals the headlines during the offseason, that is largely due to their desire to not overpay at the deadline and fans could end up disappointed this year if they are waiting for a blockbuster.

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Eric Cole

I started my career writing about baseball covering the Atlanta Braves for SB Nation's Talking Chop back in 2015 which has since been renamed Battery Power. After years of writing for those fine folks, I made the decision to take over as Site Expert at House That Hank Built before becoming a full-time MLB Staff Writer for FanSided in 2023. Along the way, I have been a guest on multiple ESPN radio affiliates as well as 680 The Fan and 92.9 The Game to discuss Braves baseball and especially Braves prospects and was a long-time host on the Battery Power podcast. These days, I continue to write about the Braves as well as covering the Astros, Padres, and Angels with particular expertise with minor league coverage, the MLB Draft, and bashing Anthony Rendon when possible. When I am not writing about or talking about baseball (which is seldom), I am an avid baseball card collector (Maddux and Soroka being my primary personal collections) and I also collect shark teeth. All other sports are mostly dead to me as my Bills have broken my heart too many times.