Trading keys for NL West hopefuls

Star pitchers perfect fits for California teams

What a bizarre and fascinating story, the three California teams dominating the National League West with no sign that any will let up down the stretch, putting the baseball world on notice that a oneofakind playoff race is all but guaranteed.

Against this compelling racetoOctober backdrop, we’re zooming closer to the July 30 trade deadline and a chance for the Giants, Dodgers and Padres to oneup each other by making a move that would help determine supremacy in baseball’s most competitive division.

All three teams have areas of concern in their pitching staffs that could use upgrading.

Do the Giants need a battletested, lategame reliever even though their bullpen ERA is lowest in the majors since June 1?

Do the Dodgers need a starting pitcher even though their rotation, with or without Spider Tack, was supposed to be the deepest in the land?

Do the Padres need another starter even though they’ve already brought in several marquee pitchers?

Yes, yes, yes. Here’s why and here’s the perfect fit for each team while realizing these are highend targets that’ll cost a bundle for the teams’ wheelers and dealers, but that’s why Farhan Zaidi, Andrew Friedman and A.J. Preller have these jobs.

Craig Kimbrel to the Giants?

Tyler Rogers gave up a walkoff home run Tuesday at Dodger Stadium but shut down the Dodgers the next night to earn

a gratifying save. It’s an example of the downs and ups expected of a young reliever without pennantrace experience.

At least with real people watching and a fullseason schedule, which wasn’t at all the case in 2020.

The surprising Giants, now that they find themselves the team to beat, have designs on making a splash in October. But their only highleverage reliever with significant playoff experience is Jake McGee.

To provide comfort and definition to a largely untested bullpen, the Giants would do themselves a great favor by acquiring Cubs closer Craig Kimbrel, whose nothingpointsomething ERA (currently 0.51) and WHIP, along with his experience in seven postseasons, make him the premier target.

Despite the team’s overall success, it’s impossible to ignore the 16 blown saves, seventh most in the majors, and alarming eight walkoff losses — only the Marlins have more — which account for nearly a quarter of the Giants’ season losses.

Kimbrel, 33, would bring more order to the late innings and give manager Gabe Kapler better options when it matters most. The righthander’s 15.5 strikeouts per nine innings far exceeds any San Francisco reliever’s strikeout rate.

An eighttime AllStar and among the top 10 in career saves, Kimbrel isn’t just a rental — he has a $16 million team option for 2022, and the Giants absolutely can afford that, especially if they’re allin on winning this year and next.

Two other possible differencemakers for the Giants:

Marlins CF Starling Marte, Twins lefty reliever Taylor Rogers.

Max Scherzer to the Dodgers?

How did the mighty Dodgers get to the point where their deep rotation has so many holes? Well, Clayton Kershaw is on the injured list, Trevor Bauer is on the restricted list and Dustin May is on the won’tpitchtilllate2022 list.

Until further notice, the rotation is Walker Buehler, David Price, Julio

Urias, Tony Gonsolin and ... Josiah Gray. Price has been a reliever most of the season, Urias is about to set a singleseason careerhigh number of innings as a pro in a season, and Gray has one major league outing under his belt.

Kershaw is working his way back from a forearm injury, and Bauer might never pitch for the Dodgers again. Or any team, for that matter.

Enter Max Scherzer, a few days from his 37th birthday and still in his prime. Three things need to happen for a Dodgers/ Scherzer marriage. The Nationals have to be willing to let him go, the Dodgers must be willing to hand over a gold mine and Scherzer would have to be willing to waive his notrade clause.

In fourth place in the NL East, the Nationals will have a clearer picture in the days before the deadline, especially if they creep any closer to the cellar.

If the Nationals are going nowhere, they don’t need Scherzer, who has a 2.83 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 12.2 strikeouts and 2.1 walks per nine innings, and started opposite Shohei Ohtani in the

AllStar Game.

With 10 years in the majors and five years with one team, Scherzer has the right to veto any deal, and his agent, Scott Boras, would be seeking an extension from the team that acquires him.

Still, the Dodgers have more competition than in their runs to eight consecutive division titles, and their rotation as is might not get them far in October. With Scherzer, a second straight World Series championship is doable.

Two other possible differencemakers for the Dodgers:

Twins starter Jose Berrios, Pirates reliever Richard Rodriguez.

Kyle Gibson to the Padres?

There’s some buzz about Joey Gallo heading from Texas to San Diego,

and a popular response might be “why”?

Believe it or not, Giants fans, right fielder Wil Myers isn’t hitting his best. Neither is first baseman Eric Hosmer. Gallo would bring more life to either position and more pop to the Pads’ lineup.

But the Padres have a greater need for arms with most of the rotation shelved in recent weeks. Their history suggests they’ll add a starter — they snagged Mike Clevinger at last year’s deadline and Blake Snell, Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove in the offseason.

Preller, who worked in Texas’ front office before moving to San Diego, would boost the rotation by acquiring Gallo’s teammate, Kyle Gibson, a 6foot6 righty who’s enjoying a breakout year at 33 and is signed through next season, when he’ll make $7 million.

Snell, Darvish, Ryan Weathers and Dinelson Lamet were on the IL at the break. Snell and Dar

vish have returned to the mound, but Snell hasn’t pitched to expectations and has an ERA near 5.00, joining Chris Paddack. Weathers (ankle fracture) and Lamet (forearm inflammation) are works in progress.

The Padres were supposed to be the team going headtohead with the Dodgers in the NL West, but they’re in third place in large part because their rotation has dragged them down.

The Dodgers’ rotation ERA is lowest in the majors, and the Giants rank fourth. The Padres are 12th, and that’s no way to compete with the big boys.

Two other possible differencemakers for the Padres:

Cubs slugger Kris Bryant, Reds starter Sonny Gray.