As Oakland Athletics fans, we share a common bond with the Los Angeles Dodgers. That bond is a fervent hatred of the San Francisco Giants. In this harmony, we must find a common goal. If this season is going to be a bad one for Oakland, the least we can do is bolster the Dodgers in their quest to keep SF from winning the NL West.

The Dodgers, for all of their financial might, have a surprisingly thin rotation. Injuries to Hyun-jin Ryu and Brandon McCarthy have left their rotation depleted. Their current rotation is only five deep, and one of those five just went on the DL, forcing the Dodgers to pull a "bullpen game" last week against the Phillies.

At full strength, their rotation sets up as:

There is no 6th starter, in case you were wondering. The top two are obviously two of the best pitchers in baseball. Once you get past that, you have Anderson (who, as we know, is made of glass) and two individuals I had never heard of before this season. Frias has been bad, but Bolsinger has been surprisingly effective in his 12 starts.

So it's apparent that the Dodgers have the need for both quality AND quantity in their rotation. They have 2.5 starting pitchers (Anderson only counts as a half a pitcher).

As it stands, the A's have a prime trade chip (Wednesday's shortened start notwithstanding) in Scott Kazmir, as well as Jesse Chavez. According to Bill Shaikin of the LA Times, the Dodgers were interested in acquiring Chavez this past winter. With Farhan Zaidi currently serving as GM of the Dodgers, it's no surprise that LA has an interest in one of the A's best acquisitions of the past five years.

At this point in the A's season, you can certainly make the case that selling off their veterans is a wise strategy. Kazmir will be a free agent after this season, and Chavez will be a free agent after next season. Given the Dodgers need for multiple quality starters, there could be a match here.

Los Angeles has two of the best minor league prospects in all of baseball in Corey Seager and Julio Urias. I have no intention of prying either of them away. But even at the upper levels of their minor league system, they have five specific candidates who interest me. In no particular order, they are:

Austin Barnes, C/2B

Ok, I said "no particular order" but Barnes is quite possibly the most interesting target I can think of. A converted second baseman who now plays catcher, Barnes has defensive versatility and a history of producing in the minor leagues. Barnes has played exclusively behind the plate this season, but he has played roughly 1/3rd of his minor league games at 2B, including 30 games there in 2014 (plus 15 at 3B). The Dodgers acquired him in the trade that sent Dee Gordon to Miami. In 476 minor league games, Barnes has walked 243 times, against just 237 strikeouts. His career line is .298/.389/.436.

Barnes hits right-handed, and stands at 5'10", 185 lbs. He was drafted out of Arizona State University in the 9th round of the 2011 draft by the Marlins.

In 154 games (655 PAs) between AA and AAA, he's hit 20 homers with a .303/.405/.494 line (88 walks and 70 strikeouts). In short, this is a guy who can play in the center of the diamond, and he's produced everywhere he's been. He is currently 25 years old and at AAA. He was briefly called up to the majors earlier this season.

Scott Schebler, OF

Schebler is a stocky, powerful corner outfielder. A left-handed hitter standing at 6'0", 225 lbs, Schebler has shown good power in the minor leagues. The 24 year-old out of Iowa has slugged 84 home runs in 545 minor league games (average of 25 per 162 games). As a 23 year-old at AA last season, Schebler hit .280/.365/.556 with 28 homers. This season, he's at AAA with a .243/.323/.450 line (10 homers), and like Barnes he was called up to the big leagues for a brief stint with the Dodgers.

You might have a Seth Smith type on your hands here, and he has shown enough to earn a spot in a major league outfield immediately.

Jose De Leon, RHP

This 22 year-old Puerto Rican stands at 6'2" and has struck out 231 batters in 160 innings since 2014. The Dodgers drafted him in the 24th round of the 2013 draft out of Southern University and A&M College (no, really, that's the name of the college) in Louisiana.

In 83 innings between A+ and AA, De Leon has a 112/29 K/BB ratio, with 6 home runs allowed. He was called up after dominating the Cal League for 7 starts (1.67 ERA). He is still missing bats in AA, though, despite his 4.17 ERA in 8 starts. His ETA is probably 2017, but the strikeout numbers are intriguing.

Zach Lee, RHP

If you have been following minor league prospects for the past 5 years, you are certainly familiar with this name. Big, 6'4" corn-fed righty Zach Lee, out of Texas, has been on a few top-100 lists over the years, though he still hasn't made a big league appearance. A former first round pick (28th overall in 2010) Lee's prospect status took a hit in 2014, when he under-performed at AAA. A 5.39 ERA with a 97/54 K/BB ratio in 150 innings isn't really earning your way into the big leagues.

Lee has rebounded a bit in 2015 with a 2.38 ERA in 57 innings at AAA, but he hit the DL in early June with "poor circulation in his right index finger" (there's a new one). He has since returned to AAA, making a start on July 6th. His upside may be that of a 4th starter, but he's ready to pitch in the majors. There have been rumblings that he will join the Dodgers rotation soon, now that he's healthy. But I'm sure the Dodgers would like a more certain producer in their rotation, like Kazmir or Chavez.

Jharel Cotton, RHP

This could be another Kendall Graveman. Cotton is a 5'11" righty who is currently sporting a 1.52 ERA in 47 innings between A+ and AA this season. The 23 year-old has a 54/13 K/BB ratio with just 2 HRs allowed in that span. The Dodgers drafted Cotton in the 20th round of the 2012 draft.

A 23 year-old starter on the rise, currently dominating at AA (albeit in a small sample). He's striking guys out and keeping the ball in the park. As a guy who won't have to go on the 40-man roster, he could be a nice throw-in piece at the back-end of the package.

Conclusion

The Dodgers have some very interesting prospects. They have arms, they have catchers and second basemen, and they have outfielders. They also have an enormous problem in their rotation. There is definitely a mutually beneficial deal to be made here.

Plus, if it keeps the Giants out of the playoffs, that's just icing on the cake.