Dodgers Should Bring Back All-Star Starting Pitcher In Trade With Red Sox

With the Dodgers having a real shortage of healthy starting pitching at the moment, could there be reason to think that a reunion is in the cards?

MLB guru Jeff Passan got a jump on the trade deadline frenzy and provided everyone with a thorough look at all 30 MLB ballclubs via a column on ESPN. The piece aimed to decipher which player would be the best fit for each trade when acquired via trade. In this case, the Dodgers need starting pitching in the worst way. Passan believes that the former ace-in-the-hole could be the answer.

"The notion that the Dodgers were going to win 120 games was always fanciful. They don’t build their team for regular-season wins. They want to put together the most devastating 26-man squad for the postseason. And they saw last year what [Walker] Buehler turns into in October. The four shutout innings against the Mets. Five more against the Yankees. And then the final three outs to lock down the World Series title. Any sort of reunion would necessitate a Red Sox collapse, and as bad as they look right now, that’s premature.

"Beyond that, the Dodgers’ farm system is so deep that they’ll have their pick of players at the deadline. But to bring in someone who knows their system, knows their culture and knows how to show up in the biggest moments is a fit that’s almost too good to be true."

The pairing makes a whole lot of sense for several reasons. For one, he's beloved in the clubhouse. Buehler commands a ton of respect and he's also the type of player that can bestow valuable knowledge to younger players.

The pressure-packed nature related to important games is something that Buehler is no stranger to. In fact, he seems to rise to the occasion when the pressure increases. Buehler also understands the culture within the organization.

Financially speaking, Buehler's contract would come off the books this offseason. He inked a 1-year deal worth roughly $21 million. Not only can the Dodgers afford this sort of deal, but it likely wouldn't take all that much to get him from the Red Sox — especially with Boston sputtering at the moment. The Red Sox could become sellers in short order if the team isn't able to turn things around quickly.

While Buehler's numbers haven't been stellar (4-3 record with a 4.44 ERA), advanced numbers indicate that he's welcoming a lot of soft contact.

Lastly, coming back home to L.A. where he spent the majority of his career would energize both Buehler and those that pack Chavez Ravine at a major level.

Andrew Friedman... it's your move.