The Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers have the two best records in baseball this season, separated by just half a game.
The two seem destined to meet again in the National League Championship Series, but they also make sense as trade partners at this year's deadline. Both teams may have mixed feelings about doing business together amid a collision course with each other, but both of these general managers have a track record of doing what's best for their teams, even if the move seems unpopular.
The Brewers need some pitching at the deadline, and the Dodgers could be trying to add some valuable infielders to their farm system. The Dodgers do not need much on the big league side of things, and they have pitching depth to deal from. Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow are returning to the rotation soon, and Eric Lauer could be trade bait.
"Left-hander Eric Lauer and outfielder Alex Call are two names the Dodgers could shop, according to multiple league sources familiar with the team’s thinking, who were granted anonymity in exchange for their candor," wrote The Athletic's Katie Woo on Monday. "Lauer played a critical role for most of the first half. When Snell and Tyler went down with injuries in the same week in mid-May, the Dodgers needed a back-end starter to eat innings and keep their six-man rotation on track."
Shohei Ohtani will return to the mound at some point as well, making Lauer pretty much obsolete for the Dodgers. He would not crack their six-man regular-season rotation of Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Ohtani, Glasnow, Justin Wrobleski and Roki Sasaki, and certainly would not start in the postseason, and would not make the roster as a bullpen arm if Sasaki and Wrobleski are moved to the bullpen for October.
The Brewers lost Brandon Woodruff for the year, and Lauer is an arm they have worked with before. He has a 3.35 ERA this season and could net the Dodgers some infield prospects. The Dodgers have just two infielders in their top 15 prospects, and the Brewers have a surplus. The Brewers are not going to deal any of their prized infield prospects for a rental like Lauer, but they could part with Brock Wilken or Blake Burke.