The Los Angeles Dodgers enter play on Tuesday with the best record in baseball, and with the trade deadline approaching, all eyes are on Andrew Friedman and Brandon Gomes.
The Milwaukee Brewers are on the Dodgers' tail for the No. 1 seed, but the Dodgers don't really need to be aggressive at the deadline. Experts believe they will engage in trade talks for Tarik Skubal if he becomes available, but outside of him, there are really no players at the deadline that will really move the needle more than the players they are getting back.
For starters, the team is expecting to get Blake Snell and Edwin Díaz back. They have managed to have the best record in baseball without them. It will be tough to top adding a two-time Cy Young Award winner and a three-time Reliever of the Year. Not to mention, Tyler Glasnow is on his way back as well.
The Dodgers will get those three arms back, and then also have Shohei Ohtani waiting to make his return to the mound. Sure, the Dodgers could go get Skubal, but they don't need to. They are already the best team in baseball and are getting four All-Star pitchers back.
Offensively, they don't really have any holes. Their bench is about to get better as Kike Hernández is expected to come off the injured list this week. Backup catcher could be a need, but the team expects Will Smith back at some point, which would make Dalton Rushing the backup again.
Despite not needing anything, the Dodgers' aggressive front office may leave nothing to doubt as they look to three-peat. They have an elite farm system to deal from, and with whispers of a salary cap and work stoppage, they could go all in regardless of need.