Dodgers second-best trade deadline decision confirmed after Emmet Sheehan option

The best decision that the Los Angeles Dodgers made at the 2026 trade deadline is obvious. Any time you get a chance to acquire a two-time reigning Cy Young winner like Tarik Skubal, you do everything possible to make that happen. The next-best decision that Los Angeles made is a bit more surprising.

In the lead-up to the deadline, there was a lot of noise that the Dodgers were going to trade Eric Lauer to capitalize on their depth. They didn't. And now, with the news that Emmet Sheehan is being demoted to Oklahoma City, keeping Lauer around looks smart. Over time, it could look even smarter.

Sheehan was the subject of trade rumors, too, and while it looked like he might be turning a corner after putting together a nice outing against the hapless New York Mets on July 26, he went out and laid an egg in his following start against the Red Sox on Sunday Night Baseball.

For much of the year, Sheehan stuck around because the Dodgers had no better options. Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, and others were on the IL. Now, though, with Skubal in the fold, Snell on the verge of returning, and Glasnow hopefully not far behind, LA has options.

Moreover, this will serve as a reset for the struggling Sheehan, who has also been experiencing notable velocity issues and is clearly an inferior option to Lauer at this time. Lauer's utility goes far beyond bumping Sheehan from the rotation, though.

Keeping Eric Lauer as a depth option makes more sense for the Dodgers than trading him away

At full strength, it will be hard to prove that Lauer is worthy of a postseason roster spot. While he's been a vital lifeline, posting a 2.96 ERA over 51⅔ innings for Los Angeles' injured rotation, the peripherals predict regression is coming. Furthermore, stuff-wise, he just doesn't compare to the Dodgers' other options.

But many of the Dodgers' starters aren't the most reliable when it comes to health. Snell and Glasnow's injury histories are well known. Shohei Ohtani's timeline to return to the mound couldn't be murkier. They just traded for Kris Bubic, who has been dealing with elbow and shoulder injuries.

In the blink of an eye, it isn't hard to imagine Los Angeles's rotation being in dire straits again. If that were to happen, having a guy like Lauer around, who just seems to figure things out, is not a bad idea at all.

If he somehow ends up rescuing the playoff rotation, that will be worth much more than whatever low-level lottery ticket prospect the club could've gotten back for him. The old adage, "you can never have too much pitching," is true, and the Dodgers are wise to embrace that mentality.

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