August 2nd is fast approaching and although the Dodgers have one of the best records in baseball, one can never assume that team president, Andrew Friedman, will stop adding even more talent to the already gifted roster. Although he has hinted that the team isn’t looking to make a splash this time around, he recently seemed to be more open to the Dodgers exploring a possible trade for Juan Soto. However, according to one Dodgers insider, Soto is not the only bat that LA has expressed an interest in.
In a recent episode of Dodger Talk on AM570, insider David Vassegh spoke of some other bats the Dodgers may be pursuing.
“I’ve also heard that the Dodgers are kicking the tires on right-handed hitters like J.D. Martinez, Ian Happ, Brandon Drury, even Josh Bell of the Nationals. The Dodgers might make a trade with the Nationals, and it might not be for Juan Soto, it might be for Josh Bell.”
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Of those players, Red Sox slugger J.D. Martinez is the most noteworthy, but Happ, Drury, and Bell could be strong additions to the Dodgers lineup as well.
2022 first-time All-Star, Ian Happ, has primarily served as the Cubs left fielder. The 27-year-old owns an overall .811 OPS and could be a significant lineup piece since he has a .920 OPS and a .346 batting average against lefties. Trading for him would probably cost the Dodgers a prospect or two considering that Happ is under team control through next season.
Drury who signed a one-year, $900,000 deal this past offseason with the Reds, is now seen as a valuable trade chip due to Cincinnati not being very good in the first half and postseason hopes most likely gone. Like Happ, the infielder has raked against lefties earning a 1.025 OPS.
After signing a one-year, $10M deal with Washington, Josh Bell, has had a bit of a comeback season. The switch-hitting first baseman is logging a 153 OPS+ with 53 RBIs. Trading for Bell probably isn’t high on the list since it would be more about managing the struggling Max Muncy and veteran Justin Turner in the DH spot.
