With the trade deadline closing in, more and more teams are making their intentions known, and the Los Angeles Dodgers are at the thick of it. LA apparently has a strong interest in Miami Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara. The $56 million pitcher is slowly regaining his all-star form after returning from Tommy John surgery, and teams have been eying him again.

According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, “The Dodgers, who have plenty of prospects, are one of the teams lurking.” They are waiting for the right time to strike. And while Alcantara’s initial numbers were sad—an 8.47 ERA in his first 11 starts—he has turned a corner lately, giving up just two runs or less in each of his last three outings.

So for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are lacking in arms, he could be the perfect fit. But like every good story, there is a villain or, rather, a twist. Just as Dodgers’ interest started to make headlines, there seems to be another team probably wanting to clinch him off LA. At least that is what former GM and MLB insider Jim Bowden thinks.

In a column for The Athletic, Bowden proposed a trade that sends Alcantara to the Chicago Cubs. “Adding an ace like Alcantara to their starting rotation would solidify the Cubs’ chances to not only win the NL Central but also vastly improve their postseason odds and chances of advancing to the World Series.” He even proposed a mock deal!

And this mock deal, according to him, would have the Marlins receive top prospects like Cade Horton, outfielders Owen Caissie and Kevin Alcántara, and teenage shortstop Ronny Cruz. Now that is a loaded return! And it highlights just how high the Cubs might be willing to go if they think Alcantara is close to his Cy Young form yet again. A bold vision, and not far from possibility.

Sure, the Los Angeles Dodgers have the farm system to make a deal with Alcantara. But the Cubs may have that urgency and the guts to get the deal done.

Meanwhile, just when things couldn’t be more tricky for the Dodgers, with them losing arms, losing games, and more, they were hit with another curveball, this time from a division rival!

Los Angeles Dodgers eye bold response as NL West rivals turn up the heat

The San Francisco Giants sent shockwaves through the baseball world by pulling off a trade no one saw coming. Giants bagged Rafael Devers, yes… the legit franchise cornerstone of the Boston Red Sox is going to rock orange now. And the Giants put a loud and clear message—they are not backing down in the NL West. And now the ball is in LA’s court.

In case LA wants to maintain control of this division and keep October dreams alive, they can’t afford to sit back. Enter Nolan Arenado.

According to Newsweek’s Andrew Wright, the Los Angeles Dodgers could swing big and get the Cardinals infielder in a response move that says, “Anything you can do, we can do better.” As per Wright, Arenado is hitting just .243 with eight home runs, so a move to LA would give him the much-needed burst of energy to get back on track.

Now, there is no doubt about the hurdles like money, fit, and, of course, Arenado’s no-trade clause. But here is the catch: He has previously mentioned that he would waive the clause for a shot with the Dodgers. So who knows! The stars might have just aligned, and this might be the golden period.

That being said, one thing is for sure: The Dodgers need to act fast on whatever trade decisions they need to take. Because others are not going to wait along!