The Los Angeles Dodgers finally have some flexibility when looking to acquire players thanks to new ownership. It's a welcome change for those who Bleed Blue, especially after years of frustrations in L.A.
According to one report, the Dodgers are considering "50 or 60" deals to improve their team before the July 31 deadline. Of course they'll likely end up only swinging two or three before the deadline hits, but the simple fact ownership is taking this many calls is a promising sign for things to come.
Here's the latest from Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.
We all know they've talked to the Cubs about pitchers Ryan Dempster (a "favorite'' for Dempster, one rival GM said) and Matt Garza, and have even asked about Cole Hamels (they may have to wait until the winter on that one), but here goes a litany of many of the fine hitters they've checked in on lately: Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino, Josh Willingham, Michael Cuddyer, Corey Hart, Aramis Ramirez and Chase Headley.
One person who spoke to the Dodgers said they seem to have "50 or 60'' things going on. That could be an exaggeration, though maybe not by much.
The news of the Dodgers looking to acquire a pitcher should not come as a surprise, but the talks of all these proven hitters is very surprising. Any of those hitters listed above would be huge boosts to the lineup, although it isn't known at this time just if they're available and what the asking price would be.
The next couple of days are going to be very interesting for the Dodgers. They still have plenty of time to make a deal, but they'll need to narrow down their list eventually. Now it's just a matter of identifying the best deals out there, and which players will help L.A. return to the playoffs.
For more on the team, check out True Blue L.A.