Mets should engage Dodgers regarding starting pitching trade

The Dodgers were in need of starting pitching before Wednesday, and that need just increased due to the fact that Hyun-Jin Ryu is headed for shoulder surgery that might end his season.

Already without Brandon McCarthy, the Dodgers are now missing two/fifths of their starting rotation.

Los Angeles is currently rolling out a rotation of Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, Brett Anderson, Carlos Frias, and Mike Bolsinger — a 27-year-old who has less than 70 major league innings under his belt. Kershaw and Greinke are obviously going nowhere, but it gets murky beyond that.

Anderson, while solid when healthy, pitched just a hair over 130 innings between 2012 and 2014. Frias has pitched well so far this season, but has a career ERA of 4.58. And Bolsinger is viewed as a back-end starter at best whose fastball velocity this season has averaged 86.3 MPH. Beyond that is Brandon Beachy, rehabbing after having his second Tommy John surgery.

Los Angeles needs starting pitching help, and that was reported before official news regarding Ryu’s surgery came out.

According to Mark Saxon of ESPN Los Angeles, the Dodgers could try to move one of their infielders — potentially Alexander Guerrero or Jimmy Rollins — in order to acquire the starting pitching help they’re seeking.

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The Mets should be on the phone with the Dodgers about Dillon Gee and Jon Niese, even if dealing one of them doesn’t bring back immediate help at an area of need.

When Gee returns from the disabled list, perhaps as soon as next week, the Mets will have to decide whether to send Gee to the bullpen or remove Noah Syndergaard from the rotation and send him back to Triple-A Las Vegas. Neither of those options is a good one, which makes a potential deal with the Dodgers seem like a good alternative.

As far as the players the Dodgers might be dangling…

Guerrero, who was signed out of Cuba a few years ago, never profiled as someone who would stick at shortstop and hasn’t been used there in regular season games by the Dodgers. Guerrero has had a tremendous start to the season, and is slugging close to .700 with six home runs. However, he’s owed $18 million through 2017 and is best suited in the outfield, at third base, or at second base. He would also likely cost more than the Mets are willing to offer.

Rollins, who reportedly was unwilling to accept a trade to the Mets during the offseason, but said after that those reports were inaccurate, might actually be a fit — even though the sight of him in blue and orange might make some Mets fans cringe.

Rollins is in the last year of his contract and is still a solid defender at shortstop, but he’s hitting just .197/.281/.345 so far this season. The fact that Rollins has started so poorly might depress his value, making a potential match with the Mets feasible.

As is noted above, though, the Dodgers should be willing to deal minor league pieces for pitching help. If the Mets would prefer to go that route while dealing either Gee or Niese, that would be perfectly fine. Either way, these two teams should be talking.