Dodgers beat Red Sox 5-2 on July 26 behind Ohtani & Smith. As the team wins at Fenway, are they about to land Cardinals star Brendan Donovan in a trade?
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
Another day, another dominant road performance. The Dodgers marched into historic Fenway Park on Saturday and handled the Boston Red Sox with a cool 5-2 victory, extending their impressive road winning streak to four games. While the boys in blue were taking care of business on the field, the front office is deep in the trenches of trade deadline negotiations, with a versatile Cardinal firmly in their sights.
Michael Conforto's recent surge: .254/.293/.479 with 4 HR in his last 23 games. Is it enough to save his spot?
The Dodgers improved to a stellar 62-43 by playing their brand of smart, situational baseball. They jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the third inning without a single booming hit, capitalizing on a bases-loaded walk by Teoscar Hernández and a sacrifice fly from Andy Pages. Will Smith stayed red-hot, lacing a double off the Green Monster, while Shohei Ohtani was a constant presence on the basepaths. The pitching staff was solid from start to finish, with the bullpen slamming the door to secure the win and keep the Dodgers comfortably atop the NL West.
While the win was sweet, the bigger story is brewing behind the scenes. Reports are intensifying that the Dodgers are making a serious push for St. Louis Cardinals utilityman Brendan Donovan. A left-handed bat hitting a robust .293/.360/.428 with 9 homers, Donovan is the Swiss Army knife the Dodgers covet. His ability to play multiple infield and outfield positions would give Dave Roberts incredible lineup flexibility for the stretch run.
Acquiring a player like Donovan likely means moving on from, or at least reducing the role of, someone else. All signs point to Michael Conforto. Signed to a one-year, $17 million deal, Conforto has been a major disappointment, slashing just .186/.296/.323 on the season. To his credit, he's shown signs of life recently, hitting .254 with four homers in his last 23 games. But the question remains: is that small sample size enough for the front office to pass on a significant upgrade?
A player of Donovan's caliber and team control won't come cheap. The Cardinals are reportedly asking for a king's ransom, likely demanding at least one of the Dodgers' top prospects. Names like Dalton Rushing and Alex Freeland have been mentioned, a price Andrew Friedman has historically been reluctant to pay. This is the ultimate test of how much the front office believes this team needs one more piece to go from contender to champion.
There were no new moves to report on Saturday. The team is still operating with the roster that saw LHP Tanner Scott land on the 15-day IL with elbow inflammation on July 22, and RHP Alexis Díaz recalled from Triple-A to take his spot. The long-term injury list remains unchanged, with pitchers River Ryan, Gavin Stone, and Michael Grove all out for the season.
The Dodgers are firing on all cylinders on the field, but the real fireworks might be just days away. As the team looks to complete the sweep in Boston, all eyes will be on the front office. Will they pay the steep price for a player like Donovan, or will they bet on an internal turnaround? The next 96 hours will define the Dodgers' championship aspirations.
