5 Dodgers trade candidates from teams quickly falling out of contention

Paul Blackburn

The Reds may be bad and poorly run, but the Oakland Athletics have taken being terrible to performance art levels in 2023, as they continue to try and force a move to Las Vegas by fielding a team that wouldn't be favored against many Triple-A clubs. Their stadium is falling apart and infested with various fauna and the roster ... matches it well.

On the surface, Paul Blackburn does not seem like a great fit right now, as he has yet to play in 2023 after he suffered an injury to his fingernail before the season started and developed a blister during a rehab start. That will delay his debut further. He has also only been okay in his career, with his All-Star nod being almost solely because SOMEONE had to represent Oakland there. He also has the added benefit of not having a ton of miles on his arm yet, as he has thrown just 249.1 innings in his career.

However, he has been relatively steady and has some team control, which could be appealing. More importantly, he is an Oakland A's player, which seemingly means that Oakland is likely willing to give him away at the drop of a hat so they don't have to pay anymore of his already miniscule salary. The Dodgers should ask about top prospect Mason Miller, but Blackburn seems like a safer bet to get moved by the A's, even if that isn't sexy.