The Los Angeles Dodgers have perhaps the most pressure on them of all the teams in Major League Baseball. The Dodgers doled out hundreds of millions of dollars to nab players this past offseason, and now the team is rumored to be looking for more. The Dodgers are rumored to be seeking additional offense before the trade deadline, per USA Today.
What the Dodgers want right now
Los Angeles is seeking some help at the bottom part of their lineup. The team is hoping to get some additional offense from the last few spots in the order. Currently, the Dodgers are struggling at those spots, with one of the lowest batting averages in baseball. The team is batting .200 at the bottom of the order, per USA Today. That is the fourth-worst mark in the MLB.
That part of the order is struggling to get on base, too. The OPS of the bottom part of the order is fifth-worst in the MLB, with a .586 mark. The Dodgers could use another bat in the bottom part of the lineup, to help round out what has been one of the best hitting lineups in baseball. The team already boasts Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman.
There will certainly be options for the team to choose from. Several teams are interested in dealing players ahead of the league's trade deadline in July. The latest player to be mentioned is outfielder Tommy Pham, who is one of the few bright spots for the lowly Chicago White Sox. The Dodgers will have multiple other options to pick from when the time comes.
Dodgers this season
Los Angeles is fighting their way to the top of the National League standings this season. The team has a 37-23 record in the NL West, and sits in first place. Ohtani is leading the way with a .326 batting average, and 14 home runs. Betts is also a consistent hitter for the team, leading the club in OBP and hits. On the year, Betts has 75 hits and an OBP of .412.
There is enormous pressure on the team to win. This past offseason, the club signed Ohtani to a monster of a contract, at $700 million. The team then went and nabbed pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, for another $325 million. The club certainly turned heads by agreeing to pay more than $1 billion just for these two players. With that kind of money, comes very high expectations. The Dodgers need to win, and they should start winning right away.
Time will tell how the club is able to handle the trade deadline, and who will join the team to help at the bottom of the order. Los Angeles is hitting .256 as a team, at time of writing. A few more consistent hitters may make this club absolutely unstoppable for the rest of the season.
The Dodgers face off against the lowly Colorado Rockies on Sunday. The first pitch is scheduled for 4:10 Eastern. The Rockies are 21-36.
