While acquiring Tarik Skubal would make for a very exciting trade deadline, prospect heads like myself are almost more intrigued by what the Dodgers might do, prospect-wise.
It’s no secret the Dodgers have a glut of outfield prospects — all the way from Triple-A down to A-ball. With Kyle Tucker around for at least another season (but maybe three), Andy Pages not yet being arbitration-eligible, Teoscar Hernandez being under contract through 2027 and the existence of Tommy Edman, well, there isn’t a ton of room for an outfield prospect (let alone 3-4) to carve out consistent playing time in Los Angeles over the next few years. Oh, and not to mention the Dodgers’ latest reclamation attempt Alek Thomas off to a solid start (.870 OPS in 28 games).
This post is spurred by reports the Dodgers might look to use their prospect depth to bolster elsewhere in the farm system.
“As the Los Angeles Dodgers prepare for the trade deadline, they’re expected to be linked to Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal. However, the primary focus for the back-to-back champions isn’t on the major-league roster, according to multiple sources familiar with the club’s thinking who were granted anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject.The Dodgers want to improve the depth of their minor-league system and are prepared to part with at least one of their top outfield prospects not named Josue De Paula to do so.”
Here’s who the Dodgers have in the outfield at the respective minor-league levels.
Triple-AZach EhrhardJames Tibbs IIIRyan Ward
Double-AJosue De PaulaKendall GeorgeZyhir HopeMike Sirota
High-ACharles DavalanEduardo Quintero
Low-AChing-Hsien KoLandyn Vidourek
A wealth of outfield talent, for sure.
Let’s get this out of the way: the Dodgers aren’t trading De Paula, as mentioned above. Short of the Pirates making Paul Skenes available (though, maybe not right this second) or the Brewers making Jacob Misiorowski available, the Dodgers aren’t trading their best prospect. However, it wouldn’t be surprising to see any other prospect above moved for another prospect/prospect package — although, Sirota is quickly approaching De Paula territory.
The most obvious trade candidate is Tibbs III. He got off to a blazing start, cooled off a bit, but still has a .289/406/.553 batting line with 21 home runs for Oklahoma City. He’s closest to MLB (not named Ward, also a good candidate for a change of scenery) and has a chance to be a solid hitter at the next level. Hope also makes a ton of sense as a trade candidate. He has some strong exit velocity numbers and has the best future power grade of any Dodger prospect. Ehrhard seems more like a fourth outfielder-type, but he still has value. If the Dodgers trade from the lower levels, I wouldn’t expect them to move Quintero. He might be their center fielder of the (distant) future.
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But enough about who the Dodgers have. Who could they be targeting in these prospect-for-prospect deals? First, we have to identify the positions of weakness.
In no order, the Dodgers could use some help at the following positions in the minors:
Catcher
Middle infield
Starting pitcher
The Dodgers’ top catching prospect is … yeah, you don’t know, either. There were no prospects in Bruce’s preseason Top 40, and under the names to know, there aren’t really many names to know.
The middle infield could always be addressed, and we’ve seen that in the past with their draft picks and international amateur signings. However, their top middle infield prospect is Emil Morales, and he’s with Great Lakes and has an ETA of 2029. Kellon Lindsey, 2024 1st-rounder, is hitting relatively well with Ontario, but it’s also a hitter’s haven and he has 233 career at-bats, despite being drafted two years ago. Joendry Vargas has yet to full get going since being a big-money international signee and Noah Miller is a glove-first, backup infielder at best.
Christian Zazueta is the Dodgers’ top pitching prospect, while they spent their 2025 first-round pick on Zach Root. After them, the roster is hit-and-miss. River Ryan exists, but he has dealt with a lot of injuries and is approaching retirement age. Jackson Ferris has taken a step back since having a strong debut after being acquired from the Cubs. Adam Serwinowski got off to a hot start when acquired last year, but has had his fair share of inconsistencies.
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Now, let’s see which teams are a match when it comes to executing prospect-for-prospect trades.
Cincinnati Reds
Catchers: Jirvin MorilloMiddle infielders: Leo Balcazar, Tyson LewisStarting pitchers: Mason Morris
The Reds and Dodgers hook up on trades somewhat frequently, and the most recent edition had them landing Sirota and a draft pick who later became Davalan) for Gavin Lux. The Reds could use an upgrade in right field, and the Dodgers could be interested in one of their middle infielders — Lewis, specifically. But Balcazar is a more versatile and higher-floor prospect than Lewis, if the Dodgers wan to go that route. Morillo is only 19, so he’d be a long-term project, while Morris has an interesting pitch mix that could intrigue the Dodgers player developmental staff.
Kansas City Royals
Catchers: Blake Mitchell, Ramon RamirezMiddle infielders: N/AStarting pitchers: Drew Beam, Michael Lombardi, Steven Zobac
Mitchell is a former 1st-rounder who is having an interesting campaign in High-A. He has a .412 OBP and 16 home runs, but he’s hitting just .227. And before you say, “lol, batting average,” the note about this batting average correlates with his hit tool rating being below-average by most evaluators. It takes into account walks, but walk rates tend to dip the closer you get to the majors. Chase rate and contact rates are going to be important for him going forward. Ramirez seems like a better target for the Dodgers, as he’s a little farther away from the majors, seems less volatile as a hitter and a better defender. Again, the arms aren’t big-time names, but guys who could interest the Dodgers based on reports and metrics. The Royals are always in the market for help — especially in the outfield.
St. Louis Cardinals
Catchers: Leo Bernal Jimmy Crooks, Rainiel RodriguezMiddle infielders: N/AStarting pitchers: Brandon Clarke, Tanner Franklin, Quinn Mathews, Tekoah Roby
Crooks is at the MLB level, but could be had. Rodriguez is the best catching prospect in baseball, so the Dodgers would probably have to make De Paula available for him (also probably a non-starter). Bernal might make the most sense here. On the pitching side, Matthews and Roby are the closest to the majors, though, both have their own issues. Mathews is wild and Roby’s fastball has some questions. Clarke and Franklin would be longer-term plays, as they’re farther away from the majors.
Tampa Bay Rays
Catchers: Caden Bodine, Nathan FlewellingMiddle infielders: N/AStarting pitchers: Anderson Brito, Michael Forret
The Rays are in an interesting spot. They have the best record in the downtrodden American League and their top prospect is Theo Gillen, an outfielder. Gillen isn’t MLB-ready, so if the Rays had interest in a more MLB-ready outfield prospect to bolster their outfield, Tibbs III could be interesting. He’s probably not enough to land one of the catching prospects (both of whom are a few years away), but there could be the makings of a deal there, especially if the Dodgers can help strengthen Tampa’s MLB roster in other ways. It’s a bit of a risky proposition, with the Rays being legitimate World Series contenders, but Friedman is not afraid of taking (calculated) risks. The starting pitchers are in Double-A and might not be upgrades over who the Dodgers have in similar positions in the system, but you know they’re always on the lookout for potential impact arms.
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The Trade deadline can be used in more than one way, and with the number of players expected to come back from injury, the Dodgers might not need to bolster the MLB roster. Using their substantial stable of outfield prospects to improve the farm system would be a good move — a smart one, even. It appears there are deals out there to be made, and Andrew Friedman hasn’t seen a three-team trade he didn’t like. So, don’t be disappointed if the Dodgers don’t end up with Skubal, as prospect-for-prospect swaps can be fun, too!
