Dodgers Expected to Be Most Aggressive Team at Deadline for Key Upgrade, Says Insider

The Los Angeles Dodgers are seen as a team that will be extremely active ahead of the MLB trade deadline.

With a pitching roster that has been mired with injuries since spring training, and more depth needed in the outfield, ESPN's Alden Gonzalez suggests LA is set to be one of the most aggressive teams this deadline.

The bullpen is where many believe that the Dodgers will try and make a deal (or two) before the end of the month, but Gonzalez also brought up the likelihood of finding a Michael Conforto replacement in left field.

Conforto is batting .186 on the year with an OPS of just .619, but in his last 20 games, he seems to be turning things around. The 32-year-old is hitting .258/.303/.500 with an OPS of .803 in his last 20 contests.

Conforto seems to be turning things around on offense, but defensively, he is below-average with an Outs Above Average grading of -4, putting him in just the ninth percentile.

As for pitching options however, the Dodgers will look to address the bullpen's 4.38 ERA going into the All-Star break, a mark tied for the worst in baseball.

The risks that come with acquiring a pitcher at the trade deadline have haunted the Dodgers before, but especially with the state of the injured pitching roster, it appears that it might be worth it in order to ensure a deep October run.

A high-leverage arm would be costly, and depending on the amount of team control on the contract, the Dodgers might find themselves paying quite the premium for another piece.

Amid injuries, inconsistency, and at times, bad luck with the pitching roster, slightly overpaying for a reliever at the deadline can prove valuable in October, but the risks are always going to be there, especially for a selling team looking to take advantage of a desperate contender.