The Dodgers have made it clear they are looking to be at the top of the trade market, with their focus on pitching — general manager Brandon Gomes said just last night that the front office is looking for “impact pitchers” — and they appear to be taking a similar approach with their position players.
Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports that Los Angeles is looking to significantly bolster its offensive outfield. The Dodgers are already in talks with White Sox star Luis Robert Jr. Feinsand writes that Rays left fielder Randy Arozarena is also of interest to Los Angeles. The Dodgers have been loosely linked to Arozarena throughout the offseason.
The fit between the two is relatively simple. If the Dodgers add a regular in left field, Teoscar Hernandez can play right field. Andy Paige can play center field regularly, and Jason Heyward can fill the fourth spot in the outfield. Hernandez, Arozarena and Paige are all right-handed hitters, so Heyward could rotate in quite often against right-handed pitchers, keeping everyone fresh.
Arozarena got off to a terrible start this season. The former All-Star slashed .158/.257/.312 through June. He’s been on an upswing in recent months, slashing .286/.392/.514 in his last 166 at-bats. A poor spring has hurt Arozarena’s season performance, as he’s slashing a mediocre .211/.313/.395. Most teams would probably view his April and May performance as an exception, considering he was an above-average hitter his first three and a half years in the big leagues.
This is especially true for the Rays, who are shaping up to be one of the most interesting teams to watch over the coming week. Tampa Bay is not out of the playoff picture, but they are 5.5 games back at .500 in the wild card race. Making the playoffs this year is possible, but unlikely. The Rays aren’t orchestrating a complete dismantling, but they could consider offers for a number of proven veterans (Brandon Lowe, Zach Eflin, Zach Littell, Isaac Paredes, Pete Fairbanks, etc.). Whether to trade Arozarena is the biggest question facing the front office.
The 29-year-old outfielder is playing for an $8.1 million annual salary, with just under $3 million of that still owed. He has two more arbitration raises before he becomes a free agent in the 2026-27 offseason. The Dodgers are in the top tier of luxury tax penalties, which will increase if they exceed the CBT threshold for at least three consecutive years. Any contract the Dodgers take on is subject to a 110% tax.