The Los Angeles Dodgers, always active in the final stretch of the season, are once again in hunting mode. The need is clear: their starting rotation has been far from the elite level they expect, and the coaching staff is already looking at how to strengthen for October. Between injuries, inconsistencies and lack of depth, the Los Angeles team does not want to repeat the mistakes of years past.
With the trade deadline approaching, all eyes are on the top. And that’s where the name Max Fried has started to make some noise. According to the Dodgers Podcast of The Incline, the Californian executives are closely following the situation of the Braves left-hander, attentive to any cracks in Atlanta’s discourse. Although today it seems unlikely, in baseball things can change in a matter of days.
Chris Sale, in shape and under surveillance
At 36 years old, Chris Sale is proving that he can still be an ace under pressure. In 15 starts this year, he has a 2.52 ERA and has struck out 114 batters, ranking among the top five in strikeouts in the entire league. His dominance was again evident on June 18, when he pitched 8.2 scoreless innings against the Mets, before suffering an injury after diving for a ground ball in the ninth inning.
Despite being placed on the 15-day disabled list with a fractured rib cage, his overall fitness is not a long-term concern. And it is precisely this combination of experience, quality and composure that makes him a coveted option for a franchise like the Dodgers, who are looking to bolster themselves with a proven arm ahead of the postseason.
A possible bomb or a closed door?
The possibility of Chris Sale going to Los Angeles seems slim, at least publicly. Alex Anthopoulos, the Braves’ president of baseball operations, was emphatic about it in an interview with 680 The Fan: “It’s not going to happen. Put it in bold, italics and capital letters”, he said bluntly in dismissing any possibility of a sale.
Even so, Anthopoulos left an interesting nuance. He acknowledged that if the landscape were to change drastically by the end of July, they would be willing to reassess. “If you get to the end of July and things have completely changed, I guess we’d reevaluate, but it would have to be extreme,” Anthopoulos added. That small window is just what the Dodgers are keeping a close eye on.
The Dodgers have shown in the past that they are not afraid to move strongly if they see an opportunity. Players such as Max Scherzer and Yu Darvish have arrived in previous years under similar circumstances, and Chris Sale would fit perfectly into that logic: a still dominant veteran with postseason experience and a hunger to win.
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