The Padres are going to try to move righty starting pitcher Chris Young over the winter and he would make a nice fit in the Dodgers’ starting rotation. With that in mind the Dodgers should offer outfielders Xavier Paul, Jason Repko and a prospect to the Padres. With the Padres dearth of offense they would probably jump at this kind of deal as long as they weren’t worried about making a trade within the division.

The Dodgers have their eyes on starting pitching as the trade deadline approaches. They definately need one starting pitcher and possibly two. The Dodgers would like to get ahold of Jeremy Guthrie of the Orioles but that would likely cost them Xavier Paul, Blake DeWitt and either James McDonald or Cory Wade. I would make either of those deals as Guthrie is a very underrated pitcher. The Dodgers will try to put together something to try to lure the Blue Jays into making a trade with Roy Halladay coming to L.A. but they might not have enough good prospects to make that happen. They could go after Cliff Lee of the Indians but that would likely cost them Paul, DeWitt, Wade and McDonald. Still, that is a trade that would make perfect sense for the Dodgers. They could even expand the deal to include Carl Pavano. If the Dodgers want to buy low then they will consider calling the Pirates and ask about righties Ian Snell, Jeff Karstens and lefty Tom Gorzelanny. The price wouldn’t be too high for any of those three pitchers. The Red Sox wouldn’t likely part with either Michael Bowden or Clay Buchholz for what the Dodgers are willing to offer. The D-Backs might be receptive to dealing Jon Garland/Doug Davis to the rival Dodgers as long as the price is right. The Padres would be willing to trade Chad Gaudin or Kevin Correia for fringe prospects. Andy Sonnanstine could likely be had from the Rays for either McDonald, DeWitt or Wade. The Nationals will also be calling the Dodgers about Scott Olsen and the price will be cheap if they want him. The Reds might be willing to trade Bronson Arroyo or Homer Bailey but they wouldn’t come cheap. The Twins would probably have an interest in Blake DeWitt and either Wade or McDonald in return for rookie starting pitcher Andy Swarzak. Look for the Dodgers to be aggressive in the trading market as they will try to improve the starting rotation.

The Dodgers have a need in the starting rotation and for a shortstop as Nomar Garciaparra can’t be counted on to stay healthy. With that in mind 26-year old lefty swinging outfielder Andre’ Ethier could be on the move. Most teams are asking for Matt Kemp in trades but the Dodgers would be smart to sub Ethier and other parts in trades for help. Ethier has played in 92 games for the Dodgers this season and he is 93 for 339 (.274 avg, .787 OPS) with 52 runs scored, 11 homers, 45 RBIs and 3 stolen bases. With Juan Pierre and Andruw Jones making so much money this season it is hard for the Dodgers to put them on the bench despite the fact that Ethier has outplayed both of them this season. Still, Ethier has some trade value because he’s young and productive.

Due to recent injuries to Brad Penny and Hiroki Kuroda the Dodgers need to make a move to help the starting rotation. Why not make a super bold move and trade outfielder Matt Kemp, 3B Andy LaRoche, shortstop Chin-lung Hu and relief pitchers Yhency Brazoban and Jonathan Broxton to the Indians for lefty starter C.C. Sabathia, righty reliever Rafael Betancourt and 3B/1B/OF Casey Blake. Sure, it sounds like the Dodgers would be giving up a lot but what they got in return would help them win right now. C.C. Sabathia is a 27-year old lefty fireballer who won the Cy Young Award in the American League in 2007. He has started 15 games for the Indians this season and he is 5-8 with a 4.26 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP. Sabathia has also whiffed 97 batters in 99.1 innings which means his stuff is still right where it needs to be. His record is so poor this season because the Indians can’t score any runs. 34-year old righty swinging Casey Blake would likely step right into Kemp’s old spot and he has a knack for getting big hits. Blake has played in 66 games for the Indians this year and he is 59 for 224 (.263 avg, .772 OPS) with 34 runs scored, 7 homers and 42 RBIs. Betancourt is a much better pitcher than he has shown this season and he would likely replace Broxton in this situation. The 33-year old righty reliever has pitched in 32 games this year and he is 2-3 with 4 saves, a 6.12 ERA and a 1.48 WHIP. But, Betancourt has had a solid major league career to this point so his bad year probably is a fluke. He has pitched in 305 games (0 starts) in his career and he is 21-19 with 16 saves, a 3.12 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP.