The Dodgers finally gave their fans something to cheer about in 2021.
By landing Max Scherzer and Trea Turner in a trade with the suddenly rebuilding Washington Nationals, the Dodgers bolstered an already talented lineup. More importantly, the Dodgers snatched Scherzer away from the pesky San Diego Padres, who looked like they were going to seal the deal for the three-time Cy Young Award winner at the trade deadline.
Instead, the Dodgers add Scherzer to a pitching staff that already has three Cy Young Award winners (two active ones) on it. The Dodgers added to a rotation that has been decimated by injuries and suspensions. The Dodgers now have four starters no team wants to face in the playoffs, not in a one-game playoff or in a Game 7 of any playoffs. The Dodgers, with Walker Buehler, Julio Urias, Clayton Kershaw and Scherzer, have the most dangerous rotation in baseball, perhaps the most dangerous rotation in the history of baseball.
The Dodgers played their 107th game of the season on Sunday, a 13-0 blowout against the lowly Arizona Diamondbacks. They have 55 more games left in the regular season. That’s 55 games to catch the surprising first-place Giants who have a three-game lead in the National League West standings after Sunday’s games. That’s 55 games for the Dodgers at 64-43 to stop having the second-best record in baseball and take over the top spot in the majors.
The next stage of the season starts on Wednesday for the Dodgers. That is when Scherzer is expected to make his first start for the Dodgers against the cheating, stinking Houston Astros. It will give Dodger fans its first look at the new version of the Dodgers.
The Dodgers added a couple other players, but it will be a while to see what kind of impact they will have on the team. Turner, an All Star infielder for the Nationals, tested positive for COVID-19 and is on the 10-day injured list. When he makes his debut for the Dodgers is anybody’s guess.
The Dodgers also traded for pitcher Danny Duffy from the Kansas City Royals. He is a left-handed reliever, which should help an overworked and underperforming Dodgers bullpen.
But Duffy is also on the injured list with a flexor strain.
While the Dodgers certainly improved after the trade deadline, the Giants and Padres made some moves, too.
The Giants added Kris Bryant from the Cubs. Bryant brings tons of playoff experience, a clutch, powerful bat and a veteran presence to a team that already has the best record in baseball. The Giants didn’t need to add much to be better. They were already really good. But Bryant makes them better.
The Padres, on the other hand, completely Padre’d the trade deadline.
It looked like they were going to be the team to trade for Scherzer. Reports on social media rolled in that the Padres were inches away from completing the deal for Scherzer. But nothing ever developed. The Dodgers kept clawing away at a deal and it finally tipped in their favor. It cost the Dodgers two of its top prospects, catcher Keibert Ruiz and pitcher Josiah Gray. The Dodgers not only added the best pitcher in the trade market, they kept him away from the Padres and the Giants.
As for the Padres, after swinging and missing on Scherzer, they completely struck out at the trade deadline. They whiffed on Jose Berrios from the Minnesota Twins and Kyle Gibson from the Texas Rangers. By the end of the trade deadline, the Padres managed to only add reliever Daniel Hudson from the Nationals and infielder Adam Frazier from the Pittsburgh Pirates. Now the Padres are fighting for a wild-card playoff spot and are probably out of the race for the National League West championship.
To make matters worse for the Padres, they put Fernando Tatis Jr. on the 10-day injured list with a sore shoulder and starter Chris Paddock on the 10-day injured list with a strained oblique. Even if the Padres make the playoffs, they probably won’t be much of a factor, certainly not much of a threat to the Dodgers.
While the Padres lick their wounds and wait to see who heals the quickest, the Dodgers welcomed back some familiar faces to the lineup.
Corey Seager came off the 60-day IL on Friday.
Mookie Betts started at second base for the Dodgers on Sunday.
Kershaw, who has been on the IL with an injured forearm, was scheduled to pitch a simulated game on Sunday.
Reinforcements are well on their way.
Dodger starting pitchers power rankings:
- Walker Buehler
- Julio Urias
- David Price
- Mitch White
- Tony Gonsolin
The Dodgers start a five-game homestand on Tuesday against the Astros, who are in town for two games. Then the Dodgers start a weekend series against the Los Angeles Angels on Friday.
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