Frias rocked, so who are the possible trade options?

One day after Carlos Frias was unmercifully rocked 11-3 by the Padres (he only lasted four painful innings), it's safe to say Andrew Friedman and the Dodgers have ramped up their efforts to acquire starting pitching.

With that in mind, and based on the suggestions by the great writer Mark Saxon from ESPNLosAngeles.com, let's take a look at the seven starting pitchers he mentioned, with stats from this year and over their careers:

Scott Kazmir - Oakland
2015: 9 starts, 2-3, 3.09 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 53 K, 55 1/3 IP
Career: 249 starts (250 games), 93-82, 4.03 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 1372 K, 1425 2/3 IP

Jesse Chavez - Oakland
2015: 6 starts (10 games), 1-4, 2.89 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 41 K, 43 2/3 IP
Career: 29 starts (233 games), 18-27, 4.52 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 378 K, 424 1/3 IP

Kyle Lohse - Milwaukee
2015: 9 starts, 3-4, 5.53 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 42 K, 53 2/3 IP
Career: 403 starts (427 games), 145-132, 4.31 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 1546 K, 2423 2/3 IP

Matt Garza - Milwaukee
2015: 9 starts, 2-6, 5.71 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 38 K, 52 IP
Career: 227 starts (230 games), 77-81, 3.88 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 1165 K, 1397 2/3 IP

Johnny Cueto - Cincinnati
2015: 9 starts: 3-4, 3.03 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 60 K, 65 1/3 IP
Career: 203 starts, 88-61, 3.26 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 1055 K, 1273 2/3 IP

Mike Leake - Cincinnati
2015: 9 starts, 2-3, 4.14 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 30 K, 58 2/3 IP
Career: 151 starts (156 games), 55-45, 3.93 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 641 K, 950 1/3 IP

Yovani Gallardo - Texas
2015: 10 starts, 4-6, 4.13 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 40 K, 56 2/3 IP
Career: 221 starts (224 games), 93-70, 3.71 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 1266 K, 1346 IP

My Thoughts:
Obviously, Cueto will be the big chip every contender is gunning for.  It doesn't matter if the Dodgers' starting staff puts together a long run of quality starts, there's no denying just how big of an impact Cueto can make if he comes into the fold.  To be as dominant as he's been in the Reds' ballpark is even more impressive.  He's actually pitched much better at home (1.55 ERA) than on the road (4.21 ERA) this year.

Getting Cueto will not be easy or cheap, so perhaps the Dodgers shy away from trading some of their prospects and go in a different direction.  Of the names listed above, I'd lean more towards the American League guys than the National League ones.

Kazmir will also not come cheap, though I can't imagine his price will be as high as Cueto's.  Perhaps the Dodgers will look to replace their original #3 lefty starter Hyun-Jin Ryu with another lefty.  Kazmir's last couple of starts haven't been pretty, and his walks are starting to pile up, so that's something to keep an eye on.

I'd put Chavez and Gallardo on the next level, as either one of them can be pretty good.  Gallardo is the more experienced one if that makes a difference.  I'm just not sure the Rangers will be sellers because in the AL West, it's unlikely the Astros continue to play so well.  The Rangers can quietly make their move, and with Yu Darvish done for the season, Gallardo is arguably their best starter.

Chavez has only been a consistent starter since last season, as he was mostly a reliever since breaking in with the Pirates in 2008.  I only know him from being on one of my fantasy teams, but in looking at this numbers, he's only given up a couple of home runs and 13 walks in nearly 44 innings.  So, he doesn't let many people on base, or to circle the bases.  I can see him coming in and becoming a solid starter towards the back end of the rotation.

Dodgers in the mix for Matt Garza

The calendar hit July 1 today, and with that, trade rumors will start to swirl more and more each day.  We all know that's just the way the Dodgers like it as the deadline approaches on July 31.

Now that they've won eight of nine and are only four games in back of first in the NL West, you can bet Ned Colletti will be as motivated as ever to get this team back over the hump.

The biggest areas of need are third base, middle relief, and back end of the rotation.  Today, Jim Bowden of ESPN.com wrote about five possible destinations for Cubs' starter Matt Garza (Insider only).  The Cubs are facing yet another rebuilding season, so let's take a look at the proposed deal (which isn't real keep in mind, just what Bowden suggests) and if I would pull the trigger on it.

Garza to the Dodgers for RHPs Stephen Fife and Matt Magill

Garza:  He got a late start to the season thanks to a strained lat muscle, and as the Reds' Johnny Cueto can attest to, that's not an easy injury to get rid of.  But, Garza has pitched well in his eight starts, posting a 3-1 record with a 3.83 ERA and 1.16 WHIP.  His strikeouts have been growing with each start, as he has 18 in his last couple. 

He's a very consistent pitcher, as the only time he's topped a 3.95 ERA was when he was a young rookie with Minnesota in 2006.  He posted a very low .236 BAA last season, and .230 so far this season.  In other words, he doesn't allow many baserunners, and can be relied on for it.

Fife: After tossing seven scoreless innings on Sunday against the Phillies, who came in scorching the ball against Dodgers' pitching, you know his value just went up.  This season he's 3-2 with a 2.83 ERA and 1.21 WHIP.  He's only made 12 starts in his career spanning two seasons, but with a very good line of a 2.78 ERA and 1.28 WHIP.

Magill: The transition to the majors has not gone nearly as smooth for him, as he's been roughed up in his six starts to the tune of a 6.51 ERA and 1.99 WHIP.  He's walked 28 in 27 2/3 innings, which is obviously way too many.  To his defense, he's had to make some starts on pretty short notice thanks to the never ending injury situation in LA, but even with that, he's been pretty horrendous.

Bottom Line: As much as I like Fife, I would pull the trigger on this deal.  Garza is only 29 and has pitched in big games before.  He won the 2008 ALCS MVP thanks to two wins over the Red Sox, giving up two runs in 13 innings.  Yes, that was five years ago, but in five career postseason starts (including one more in 2010), he's 2-1 with a 3.48 ERA and 1.29 WHIP.

Garza strikes me as a guy who would thrive in the spotlight of LA, where he would get to make big starts down the stretch.  He made many big starts with the Rays from 2008-2010, and was one of their top pitchers.  Plus a rotation of Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, Hyun-Jin Ryu, and Garza is pretty nasty.  That would be hard for any team to matchup with.

I would miss Fife because he is getting better at mixing his pitches and seems to step up to the challenge.  But, it's the old saying of in order to get something, you have to give up something.  Fife would be that guy.  I'd be perfectly happy if he does stay a Dodger though, don't get me wrong.

I don't have much confidence in Magill, who just doesn't strike me as anything special.  I know he won't always walk so many in future, but he just has "OK" written all over him.  No big deal if he goes.

With Dempster gone, Dodgers eye Garza

Ryan Dempster looks to have been traded, just not to the Dodgers.  He will be moved to the Braves today for starter Randall Delgado.  With Dempster and the emergence out of nowhere of Ben Sheets, the Braves have definitely upgraded their rotation.

Now the Dodgers have shifted their focus to another Cubs' starting pitcher, Matt Garza.  The difference between the two is that Garza can be retained next season as an arbitration-eligible player.  Dempster is a free agent after this season.  If the Dodgers do let go of Zach Lee, and it looks like they'd have to if they want Garza, then it's easier to pull the trigger knowing he'll be in the starting rotation next year, too.

This season, Garza is 5-7 with a 3.91 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and 93 K's in 103 2/3 innings.  In seven big league seasons, he's 57-61 with a 3.84 ERA and 1.29 WHIP.

I'll wait and see if this deal does go down before diving deeper into what it means for the Dodgers going forward.