The Dodgers have bolstered their bullpen and outfield by acquiring Stewart and Cole.

On the trade deadline, the Dodgers made subtle moves to address their bullpen and outfield needs, continuing the roster potential built during the offseason. The team completed three trades: acquiring right-handed pitcher Brock Stewart from the Twins, outfielder Alex Call from the Nationals, and sending Dustin May to the Red Sox. Previously, they also participated in a three-way trade involving the Rays and the Reds.

Compared to the Padres' significant moves, the Dodgers' strategy was more conservative—only sending major league bench players James Outman and Hunter Feduccia, along with high-A pitchers Eriq Swan and Sean Paul Liñan. May was traded due to the expiration of his contract and lack of positional demand.

"The league has been active today, but we are confident in our existing roster," emphasized General Manager Brandon Gomes. "We recognized at the start of the season that this is the most talented roster in history, and we are currently leading the division while still not reaching our full potential."

Trade Details 1
Dodgers receive: Right-handed pitcher Brock Stewart
Twins receive: Outfielder James Outman

33-year-old Stewart returns to the team that drafted him in 2014, with a 2.38 ERA over 39 appearances this season, striking out 41 and walking 11 in 34 innings. His fastball velocity has increased from 91.5 mph in 2019 to 96.1 mph, and right-handed hitters have an OPS of only .327 against him. Gomes remarked, "He has added an exceptional breaking ball to his existing changeup, which is highly valuable in high-leverage situations."

The risk lies in his maximum innings pitched in a single season being 34.1 in 2017, and he is nearing that limit this season, having undergone Tommy John surgery in 2021 and dealing with arm injuries in the past two seasons.

28-year-old Outman finished third in the National League Rookie of the Year voting last year, but his performance has significantly declined this season (4 hits in 39 at-bats, .103 batting average), though he has been excellent defensively with limited opportunities.

Trade Details 2
Dodgers receive: Outfielder Alex Call
Nationals receive: Right-handed pitchers Eriq Swan (16th on Dodgers' prospect list) and Sean Paul Liñan (20th)

30-year-old Call can play all three outfield positions (primarily corner spots this season), and he first became arbitration-eligible this offseason, with contract control until 2029. This season, he has a .274 batting average and .756 OPS over 237 plate appearances, striking out only 36 times, showing particular skill against left-handed pitchers. Gomes noted that Call is not just a pure left-handed complement and will rotate in the outfield as needed: "He is a tough matchup for pitchers and extremely difficult to deal with in confrontations."

Call is expected to strengthen the Dodgers' inconsistent lineup in recent months (the team's record during this period is 10 wins and 14 losses), complementing Michael Conforto, who had an OPS of .827 in July.