The Los Angeles Dodgers are clinging to a narrow division lead in the National League West, which is pretty remarkable given how long they've been playing without Matt Kemp, and given how Matt Kemp is the team's best position player by so far it actually is funny. Every team in playoff contention is flawed, and every flawed team in playoff contention thinks about possible upgrades around the trade deadline. The Dodgers are no different, and from Tim Brown, we get a rumor report:
Dodgers Have Eyes On Aramis Ramirez, Chase Headley
The Los Angeles Dodgers are in the market for an upgrade at third base, and one report has Aramis Ramirez and Chase Headley as targets.
If Brewers decide to sell, Dodgers have identified Aramis Ramirez as possible 3B upgrade. Prefer Chase Headley, however.
— Tim Brown (@TBrownYahoo) July 12, 2012
The Dodgers have gotten next to nothing out of third base this year, as 273 plate appearances have gone to Adam Kennedy, Elian Herrera, and Juan Uribe. Jerry Hairston Jr. has been productive, but the Dodgers would prefer to keep him in a versatile role. Hence a focus on finding somebody better at the hot corner.
Both Ramirez and Headley would make the Dodgers a better team. Ramirez is sitting on a 116 OPS+, and Headley's at 121, which is exactly where he was a year ago. The advantage of Headley is that he's much younger and much cheaper, as Ramirez is due $10 million in 2013 and $16 million in 2014. But then that's why Headley would presumably cost more in a trade. He's a good, young, cheap player on the Padres, and the Padres like that combination.
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