The Los Angeles Dodgers are in the midst of another title-contending season, which will likely see the team be aggressive during the trade deadline coming up in the summer.
The Dodgers have a mainly experienced roster, but there is the odd promising rookie like Dalton Rushing and Roki Sasaki who are trying to find their footing in the league.
Given the developing nature of rookie players, many have speculated whether the team would be willing to trade Rushing or any other promising prospect for another arm or additional depth.
The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reports that the team is high on Rushing and fans should expect him not to be available for a trade.
"It’s easy to interpret the Dodgers’ recent promotion of rookie Dalton Rushing as the possible prelude to a trade," Rosenthal wrote in a story for The Athletic.
"But even though Hunter Feduccia could slide into the backup catcher’s role, the Dodgers are not inclined to move Rushing, and certainly not for a short-term fix.
"Good hitters are in increasingly short supply, and Rushing offers considerable offensive promise. If the Dodgers are willing to forsake the value he would provide as a catcher, he could end up replacing Michael Conforto next season in left field."
Through six games, Rushing is batting .250/.286/.300 with four RBIs. His bat has showed plenty of promise in moments. Rushing has a solid approach at the plate and a knack for finding quality contact.
He has already generated 0.1 WAR despite his offensive struggles, mainly due to his impressive work behind the plate. Rushing is already at a high level behind the plate, capable to catching well and calling a game.
As a promising catcher, Rushing provides a valuable back-up catcher that has a much more capable bat compared to former Dodger Austin Barnes.
Dalton Rushing singing along to Mr. Rager as he stepped into the box before hitting an RBI double pic.twitter.com/BpmofIw31v https://t.co/YFQtNArIUx
— Bruce Kuntz (@Bnicklaus7) May 18, 2025
While the Dodgers are trying to compete this season, the team is talented enough to afford a young player the time needed to get his swing down.
The development of Rushing will pay off years down the line, while additional appearances this season could serve as the foundation for the young catcher to get his repetitions in the big leagues.
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