Dodgres trade idea would bring rival pitcher to Los Angeles

The Los Angeles Dodgers have been one of the best teams in baseball this season. However, they may be looking for more starting pitchers near the trade deadline.

The Dodgers' rotation has dealt with injuries all season, but the group is getting healthier. Tyler Glasnow is back and Blake Snell's return could be around the corner. Shohei Ohtani is building up and could be a key part of the rotation soon. The Dodgers may not need starting pitchers, but they may want to have insurance against injuries.

Their rotation has not shown that they can stay healthy. Rōki Sasaki's injury timeline is unclear, and the team may be interested in having a reliable starter in case he cannot return or injuries continue to stack up. Bleacher Report's Tyler Ward tabbed the Dodgers as a trade fit for Merrill Kelly of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

According to USA Today's Bob Nightengale, the Diamondbacks are willing to trade him. He will be a free agent after the seaosn, and has been a reliable arm this year.

He has a 3.34 ERA in 20 starts. He could slot in at the back of the Dodgers' rotation. A group of Clayton Kershaw, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Ohtani, Glasnow and Snell would not need another arm, and the Dodgers would likely only deal for a starter if they fear injuries could derail them in October.

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The biggest risk with trading for Kelly is what the Dodgers would do if their preferred rotation does stay healthy. None of their starters are really guys they could move to the bullpen, and then Kelly would be left without a role. The Dodgers may not trade for a starter unless their rotation suffers another setback between now and July 31.

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