The Los Angeles Dodgers are in search of starting pitching. When the season started, it looked as though their rotation was loaded with arms, however the team is currently looking for quality arms and Ricky Nolasco is one of their main targets. The Miami Marlins are willing to trade Nolasco and as the N.L. West division is extremely tight, the Dodgers think Nolasco can make a difference.
Right now, the Dodgers have a solid 1-2 punch with Clayton Kershaw and Hyun-Jin Ryu. Zack Greinke and company haven't added the right kick to the combo, which is why the organization feels that the pitching could be improved. Greinke has an ERA of 3.79 in 10 starts this year, which is not what the team expected. He's the third starter followed by Chris Capuano, who has a 4.35 ERA and Stephen Fife, who has a 3.41 ERA.
Removing Fife from the rotation and adding Nolasco to their list would be the perfect plans for the Dodgers. Nolasco has a 3.68 ERA with a 4-7 record. You can't blame him for his losing record since the Marlins have done a poor job proving Nolasco with run support. Nolasco has surrendered more than 3 runs only four times in 16 starts this season. He's pitching well for a team that is going nowhere, imagine what Nolasco can do for a Dodgers team that is currently in the fight for the division?
The Dodgers are playing their best baseball having won five straight games. Some of it is due to Yasiel Puig, but the team is finally gelling and working together for a cause. They are seven games under .500 in a division where only the first place Arizona Diamondbacks have a winning record. The Dodgers are 35-42, six games back of the 41-36 Diamondbacks. There are still three full months of baseball left in the season and if Nolasco pitches the way he has for the Marlins, he can truly help the Dodgers make a run. A fourth slot in the rotation seems ideal, since Ryu and Greinke have dollar signs written all over them and Kershaw is the staff's ace.
L.A. has the fifth best ERA among starting pitching in the majors. If a deal for Nolasco doesn't work, then maybe the Dodgers should consider moving some bats around since apparently, that is the true problem in Hollywood.
