The Los Angeles Dodgers are 36-24 with a one-game lead in the National League West. Their pitching has not been good for the last month, and they could be forced to make a trade.
Since May 3, the Dodgers have a 4.54 ERA. Their starting rotation is banged up as Blake Snell, Rōki Sasaki and Tyler Glasnow are on the injured list. One of the Dodgers’ big offseason moves was signing Tanner Scott to a four-year, $72 million deal. He has been healthy, but he has a 15.00 ERA in his last seven games and has blown three saves.
Scott has a 4.73 ERA overall. The Dodgers may need to start considering outside options, and Aroldis Chapman of the Boston Red Sox could be a fit. CBS Sports’ Matt Snyder tabbed him as a player who could be on the move if the Red Sox fall out of contention.
“Aroldis Chapman has been traded twice in-season in his career and ended up winning a World Series ring both times,” wrote Snyder. “Can it be a hat trick this year? He’s pitched to a 1.88 ERA and 1.00 WHIP with 32 strikeouts in 24 innings so far. We know he can close and he’s had success in setting up, too. He’s a free agent after the season and contending teams always want bullpen help, so he’d surely be gone if the Red Sox are indeed sellers.”
Chapman is in his 16th season and has been one of the best relievers of this generation. He is a seven-time All-Star and was the 2019 Mariano Rivera American League Reliever of the Year. He could be a great option to take over as the Dodgers’ closer or even be a setup man if Scott sees a turnaround.
Chapman is going to be a free agent after the season, and if the Red Sox are not in the postseason picture come July 31, Chapman would make plenty of sense for the Dodgers. The “Cuban Missile” has won two World Series titles, so the pressure of October will be nothing new for him. The Dodgers still believe in Scott, but with how much they have invested into this year, they are not going to wait around all season for him to start dominating.
