The Los Angeles Dodgers spent the offseason building what appeared to be an unbeatable starting rotation. They acquired Tyler Glasnow, signed Blake Snell, brought in Japanese star Roki Sasaki, and made long-term plans around Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. On paper, it looked elite. On the field, it’s become unstable.
While Yamamoto has become a Cy Young candidate, injuries have once again wrecked the Dodgers’ pitching depth. Glasnow, Snell, Sasaki, and Tony Gonsolin are all on the injured list, and Ohtani has yet to take the mound.
The Dodgers have been forced to lean heavily on fill-ins Ryan Yarbrough and Landon Knack to get through the first half. While those arms have held their own, it’s clear Los Angeles needs reinforcements if it wants to make a legitimate World Series push.
According to Just Baseball’s Zach Lutz, that instability could push the Dodgers toward one of the biggest potential trade chips this summer — Houston Astros ace Framber Valdez.
Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez (59) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Daikin Park.
Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
“If Houston does sell,” Lutz writes, “the Dodgers and Padres could be front-runners. Both are in contention and could use a durable left-handed starter.”
Valdez, a two-time All-Star and possessing a 3.07 ERA over 85 innings in 2025, would immediately slot near the top of the Dodgers’ rotation and give them another playoff-caliber weapon to pair with Yamamoto. With Ohtani out as a pitcher and Glasnow and Snell uncertain long-term, Lutz suggests Los Angeles could be one of the most motivated teams at the deadline.
Meanwhile, the San Diego Padres, locked in a tight NL West race with the Dodgers, have pitching needs of their own. Lutz highlights the Padres’ desire to reinforce their staff behind Michael King and Dylan Cease, who has struggled with consistency. A frontline starter like Valdez could give them the boost needed to not only reach the postseason but go deeper into October.
The two clubs, separated by just a game, could reignite one of the most competitive rivalries in baseball with a trade deadline bidding war. The winner of such could find it to be the difference in a division title or a Wild Card appearance.
One wrinkle to Lutz’s analysis is that the Astros remain just 2.5 games back of the AL West lead. If they slide in the standings, Lutz believes Los Angeles will be among the first teams to call. However, if Houston makes a strong pre-trade deadline push, it could remove Valdez from the market entirely.
