Deadline has Dodgers ramping up scouting efforts

LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers recently shuffled coverage by their special assignment scouts to target teams that are their most likely partners by the July 31 Trade Deadline.

Dodgers scouts have an increased presence with Milwaukee, as well as continued coverage of the Chicago Cubs, Colorado, Philadelphia and Minnesota.

The players believed in their sights include Brewers sluggers Aramis Ramirez and Corey Hart; Cubs starting pitcher Ryan Dempster; Rockies outfielder Michael Cuddyer; and Phillies starting pitcher Cole Hamels. At the top of the club's wish list are a productive corner infielder and a starting pitcher.

Each of these players has an expensive contract, which makes them prime candidates for the Dodgers, who now have the financial wherewithal to pick up another club's bad contract. Conversely, many of the most attractive obtainable players this summer will cost a package of prospects that the Dodgers don't have.

Ramirez might be the best fit, a 34-year-old third baseman with 10 homers and 50 RBIs who is owed $31 million through 2014. Hart, a 30-year-old outfielder with first-base experience, has 16 homers, 37 RBIs and is owed $13 million through 2013.

Cuddyer, a 33-year-old outfielder who can play first base, has 12 homers, 49 RBIs and is owed $26.5 million through 2014. Dempster, currently on the disabled list with a strained lat muscle, is owed the remainder of his $14 million salary this year then will be a free agent.

i think hart would be the best fit, just stick him at first. Ramirez would be cool too though. not really to interested in cuddyer or dempster.

Ramirez would be a solid pickup right now. But any decent power producing corner guy not in a walker or wheelchair would be my choice. Now Loney is starting hit and I see this as a mirage of short duration so now they will stick with him and it will be too late after the deadline because the market is so thin......they ought to give Fields a shot at 3B, but my guess is he has a hole in his cut somewhere and they know he will struggle up here?

Either one would be nice.

Hart is 30 with a year left on his contract and Ramirez 34 with 2 years left on his contract. I wonder what Kasten would dangle out in front of them in negotiations?

It could just be a matter of salary relief. With the way the Dodgers stack up offensively, I'd take both Ramirez and Hart and that would resolve our corner infield issues.

I hope they add Encarnacion to the list

No doubt about it- those 2 would certainly solve our corner infield problems.

If it's mostly salary relief that the Brewers are looking for I like our chances.

Yes, I really don't know what the focus of Milwaukee is right now. They seemed to be building up a club to contend and then they were undercut by Fielder's free agency.

That would be sweet! But he's not going anywhere. Him and Bautista are a under rated ridiculous 1-2 punch. I'd trade for Aramis at this point. At least we will know who is playing 3rd next few seasons.

Hart and Ramirez both would be fantastic. That would become a pretty scary lineup.

What would it take to actually weasel Hart and Ramirez- and do the Dodgers have the pieces?

It's all speculation here. We don't know if they want to just punt and get salary relief, or if they want a significant return in prospects. If it's the latter than with the Dodgers thin farm system, it will be difficult to pull off.

Hart would be nice, but MLBTR says he's unavailable:

"The Brewers will wait a little longer before deciding to sell, and while Greinke, Shaun Marcum, and others could be on the block, Corey Hart will not."

I wonder if a package of Z Lee, G Gould, Tolleson, Loney, and Van Slyke and eating all 45m left on the others contracts would do it. haha.

How about Loney, Lee, Uribe, Coffey, Kennedy, and Billingsley?