Los Angeles Dodgers: Why the Dodgers are still the NL’s team to beat

3. The Los Angeles Dodgers have the assets to make an emergency trade

Including a picture of Manny Machado might upset some Dodger fans as he won’t go down as the most popular Dodger in recent memory. Between his lack of hustling and going to a division rival, Machado certainly won’t get many cheers when he returns to Dodger Stadium.

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However, Machado, like those before him, represents how the Dodgers can go make an emergency trade and that trade can be the biggest trade of the summer or a sneaky good trade that leads to success.

In this case, Machado was the biggest trade of the summer and without him, the Dodgers probably would not have even made the postseason. The team was significantly underperforming and with Corey Seager out it made sense to add Machado.

The year before that the team needed a reliable number two behind Clayton Kershaw and added just that in Yu Darvish without breaking the bank.

In 2016, the team needed one more arm and a bat to bolster the offense. The team got just that in Rich Hill and Josh Reddick, with Hill staying for the long-term.

The point is that the Dodgers have the assets and the farm system to make trades on a varying level of impact solely based on whatever the team needs at that given time.

There are very few teams in the league with that luxury and right when you think you are ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers they go ahead and add the perfect trade piece. Tough luck.