5 possible Dodgers trade candidates that aren't available in talks just yet

If you look around Major League Baseball leading up to the Aug. 1 trade deadline, there are only a few surefire sellers. The Oakland Athletics, Kansas City Royals, Washington Nationals, Colorado Rockies and Chicago White Sox feel like they'll be offloading as many assets as they can without compromising their futures.

But outside of the White Sox, the Los Angeles Dodgers don't really match up favorably with any of those bottom feeders, all of whom have very little to offer. That means there will be a ton of competition for the few names available from all of those teams, and the Dodgers don't want to get in any bidding wars with middling talent.

If LA wants to make a run at the World Series this year and/or look ahead to 2024 and beyond, any biddng war they insert themselves into better be for a near-perfect fit, superior talent or desperate need. Even so, executives want to avoid those scenarios as often as possible.

That's why fans can bet Andrew Friedman is scoping out the rest of the league, especially teams in need of a very good stretch of play right out of the All-Star break. A quick slide to begin the second half could turn a number of teams out there into sellers, which would open up the market for the Dodgers and help them get what they want without dealing with a diminished supply.

Perhaps these potential links should have Dodgers fans a bit more engaged leading up to the deadline, instead of everyone sitting there wondering which Kansas City Royal would fit best in Dodger Blue.

5 possible Dodgers trade candidates that aren't available in talks just yet

Teoscar Hernandez

The Seattle Mariners very much need to pick things up out of the gate, or else they'll be in danger of falling completely out of the AL playoff picture. At 45-44, they still have a shot at the AL West (six games back), but they're also four games back of a Wild Card spot as they battle it out with the Orioles, Astros, Blue Jays, Yankees and Red Sox.

In the event the M's can't find a rhythm, outfielder Teoscar Hernandez might be one of the first players out the door. He's only signed through 2023 and was acquired in the offseason from the Blue Jays with the sole purpose of helping Seattle contend right now. He hasn't been bad, but he also has been far from great.

His 115 strikeouts lead the AL. His 2023 campaign is looking more like his 2018-2019 showing when he was finding his footing in MLB. He was a bonafide All-Star from 2020-2022. But you know what he still does do? He crushes lefty pitching (.275/.331/.570 for his career), which is something the Dodgers need badly. Additionally, he's seen some improvement on the defensive end, logging 3 Defensive Runs Saved while ranking in the 62nd percentile for Outs Above Average.

The Dodgers need another outfielder, especially if Mookie Betts will be spending more of his time in the infield now. This could be the buy-low move that elevates LA.

Gleyber Torres

In the event the Dodgers don't want to use Mookie Betts more than they're comfortable with at second base after Miguel Vargas was optioned, then Friedman needs to keep an eye on the New York Yankees, who are, at best, a .500 team without MVP Aaron Judge.

Currently a game out of a Wild Card spot, the Yankees season hinges on Judge's return, but there's been little to no word on his status outside of vague updates and hopeful shots in the dark that he'll be back "soon." Even if Judge does return, though, it feels like Gleyber Torres might be trade bait.

He was reportedly dangled at last year's deadline and again in the offseason, but nothing was ever worked out. The veteran second baseman is a good baseball player, but his mental lapses have driven Yankees fans insane. More often than not, he's canceling out his positive production with boneheaded plays/decision making.

He's really felt like a "change-of-scenery" trade candidate for a few years now, and LA might be a soft landing spot for him. After blowing the lid off his career with two All-Star campaigns in 2018 and 2019, Torres has been unable to reach that peak again, but still remains a serviceable major leaguer that would undoubtedly help a team looking to improve their middle infield.

He hit 24 homers and drove in 76 runs last year, finishing with a 115 OPS+. This year, he's hit 13 bombs, driven in 36 runs, and owns a 105 OPS+. He's also struck out just 53 times in 375 plate appearances. The Yankees have a glut of middle infield talent and might be willing to part with Torres. The price may not be too steep, either.

Nolan Arenado

Nolan Arenado is on the Mount Rushmore of All-Stars Dodgers fans have wanted the team to trade for. And that dream could become a reality, depending upon just how far the Cardinals are willing to sell after their disastrous 38-52 start. Unless they can get back to .500 before the deadline, there's no sense in St. Louis seeing this through.

With Paul Goldschmidt hitting free agency after the 2024 season and the Cardinals stuck with the very bad Steven Matz, Willson Contreras and Miles Mikolas contracts, they truly might not have a choice but to consider moving a star like Arenado so they can recoup some cost-effective talent.

Signed through 2027, Arenado carries a ~$27 million AAV from 2024 until the end of his deal. He's still playing at an All-Star level and is a bonafide Gold Glover. The only drawback here is clogging the payroll a bit in the short-term if the play for Shohei Ohtani plus other top talent is on the table for the offseason (it likely is). Plus, trading prospects for someone's age-32-36 seasons is never the most prudent idea.

Then again, the Dodgers have managed their money well and put themselves in a position to spend. They have a deep farm system that can afford to take a hit with a group of prospects heading out the door. Adding Arenado into the mix would also likely help the team's pitch to Ohtani, who wants his next destination to be a winning environment. The Dodgers already have that, and will elevate the offering by making a blockbuster at the deadline.

But it all hinges on how extreme the Cardinals opt to go with their makeover and how much they will be asking for. Either way, the Dodgers need to be ready to pivot, because the deadline is all about expecting the unexpected.