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With the trade deadline looming — Friday, July 30 this year — this week’s podcast is mostly dedicated to looking at potential targets for the Dodgers.
That means several pitchers, since the Dodgers rotation isn’t as robust as it was to start the season. We brought up several of the pitchers our own Blake Harris mentioned on Monday, in written form, plus a dash of Jon Gray and Zach Davies.
Over at Dodgers Digest, Dustin Nosler explored the viability of Twins starter José Berríos, and we talked about him, too. (Bérríos, not Nosler).
Also on this week’s episode, lots and lots of draft trivia, and vegetable sandwiches.
Thanks to producer Brian Salvatore for his hard work behind the scenes.
Dodgers rewind
We didn’t press the back button too long for this one, opting to remember old friend Alex Wood, who is not only still pitching but will face the Dodgers, for the Giants, in this week’s showdown series at Dodger Stadium.
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Wood was the centerpiece of Andrew Friedman’s first trade deadline deal with the Dodgers, a massive three-player, 13-team deal in 2015 that is full of classic names. If that deal doesn’t happen, for instance, we don’t get Bronson Arroyo singing Wonderwall to Walker Buehler at this year’s ring ceremony.
That celebration was made possible by the Dodgers winning Game 6 of the World Series last year against the Rays, a low-scoring bullpen scramble that saw Wood retire all six batters he faced in the third and fourth innings.
Wood with the Dodgers was an All-Star, took a no-hitter into the sixth inning of Game 4 of the 2017 World Series in Houston, and was responsible for one of the best confidence-fueled trade deadline quotes in recent memory. As the Dodgers were looking for pitching in 2017, Wood staked his claim to his place in the rotation hierarchy.
“Go out & find somebody with better career numbers to be a No. 2, then come talk to me,” he said.
Podcast links
Episode link (time: 1:16:31)