Should Dodgers Be Shopping for Anything But Relief Pitching?

Published on by Dennis Schlossman
boyd2
(AP photo)

As 2019 has seen the abandonment of waiver trades through the end of August, many teams around the MLB will be provided with limited opportunities to deal ahead of the July 31 deadline.

Seemingly, it’s more difficult because there are a multitude of clubs who may consider themselves in contention and aren’t quite sure whether or not they’re buyers or sellers with two full weeks remaining.

Conceivably, a team who is five or more games behind in a prospective Wild Card race could end up being ten games out by the time the deadline rolls around—or vice-versa.

It’s tough to fathom who the Dodgers are talking with about any prospective trades, as front office boss Andrew Friedman typically does a fine job at not showing his hand. Nevertheless, we can almost be assured that the club is looking for a much-needed upgrade(s) to an otherwise mediocre bullpen.

Some sort of move on the relief pitching front, whether or not it proves to be a beneficial in the end, is virtually guaranteed.

However, when I recently read a few stories about Los Angeles possibly being interested in arm for the starting rotation, I began to scratch my head.

According to a report out of Detroit, Friedman and his troops have been talking to the Tigers about southpaw starter Matthew Boyd.

Slugger Nick Castellanos garnered quite a few conversations about a conceivable trade during the winter months, and recently, we discussed how righty reliever Shane Greene would fit into the Los Angeles bullpen nicely.

But another starter?

Even with veteran lefty Rich Hill on the shelf, the Dodgers appear to be fine down the stretch in the rotation. Ross Stripling has filled in admirably, and Julio Urias is always a possibility. There’s some logic in stating that by adding someone like Boyd, the Dodgers would be able to float Stripling along with somebody like Kenta Maeda back to the bullpen, but Stripling and Maeda are not overwhelmingly huge upgrades on the existing relief corps.

So far this season, Boyd has posted a 6-7 record with a 3.95 ERA and a 3.47 FIP over an even 114 innings of work alongside 152 punchouts. Besides the promising strikeout rate, these numbers certainly are not anything to write home about, as many folks who have been following the rumors feel that the Dodgers would be much better off using their resources on a prospective deal for a bonafide, high-quality relief arm.

Our good friend Connor Byrne at MLBTR pointed out that Boyd could be a wise investment for Los Angeles being that he’s under control for the next several seasons, coupled with the possibility that it’s conceivable that Hill and lefty Hyun-Jin Ryu might not be with the squad next season.

Still, many pundits believe that the 2019 Dodgers are the best squad the organization has fielded in recent seasons and that they have the best chance of bringing home a World Championship, something the city has been waiting on for more than 30 years. Consequently, the stretch run of the 2019 season could be viewed as more critical than a theoretical starting rotation in 2021.

There may not be many rumblings or rumors at this exact moment in time, but there will definitely be some kind of action in the L.A. camp before the deadline lands on July 31.

Whether Friedman decides to make another huge splash in the 2019 trade market or not remains to be seen.

 

32 thoughts on “Should Dodgers Be Shopping for Anything But Relief Pitching?”

  1. the Dodgers can be successful this season without another rotation arm, but if Andrew is doing his job well, he should always be looking towards the future. Boyd would give us depth for this season, even though we don’t need it, and next season. Hill won’t be back, who knows if ownership will want to pay Ryu what he will be asking for on his next contract. So in that context I can see where the rumors would come from, plus if I remember right, I think the dodgers were interested in Boyd, at the dead line, last season, or maybe it was the off season, either way this is not the first time we’ve been linked to him.
    That being said I think we should be looking for bull pen help, or bullpen help, or maybe some more bull pen help. Can you tell I think we should get some bullpen help?

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  2. The Dodgers could very well have 3 players with 40 or more HR by the end of the year. Hello and Muncy are shoe-ins and Joc could get there too with a solid second half. At this rate Bellinger could hit 50.

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  5. Ok it’s time to get real. Kenley Jansen is no longer an elite closer. He’s not even closer material anymore. How will y’all feel with a one run lead in a playoff game and Kenley on the mound. Do we go all out and trade Keibert Ruiz to find a closer? I’m 100% for it but many may not be. I’ll take my chances that Will Smith is the answer behind the plate.

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  6. I saw that coming from Jansen’s first pitch, and after he got hit in the foot it got worse. I think he is hurt.

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    1. You could tell just by the look on his face that he knew things weren’t going to go well.
      My man Vazquez just got more expensive.
      In happier news, Smith had 2 homers tonight including a grand slam (7 RBI) and Lux had a homer and is hitting .500.

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      1. Vazquez is going no where Jefe. That is nothing more than a pipe dream. Now, there are some other quality arms out there, Colome, who has 21 saves with the White Sox could probably be had at a lot cheaper price. Jansen said after the game that his ankle was numb after he was hit by the liner, and that he should have come out of the game. This is the year that AF needs to bring that second closer in for sure.

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    2. He’s not the same guy. What’s wrong? Maybe he’s hurt. It was illness last year when his FIP ballooned from 1.3 to 4.03. It’s near that again.

      On the positive side, he’s got 51 Ks in 38 innings and his WHIP is still low at 1.01.

      He is making closer money for two more years after this one. I can’t wait to hear from the team on this.

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      1. According to Jansen in the post game presser, his ankle was numb after the ball hit him. He admitted he should have come out of the game. Had he done that, who ever replaced him, and if Roberts was smart it would have been Urias, would have had all the time he needed to get ready.

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      2. Why didn’t Roberts make the decision for him? This should not happen. Reminds me of when Hill handed him the ball. Different, but both questionable moves.

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      1. Scoop, he went out to check on him, and Jansen looked like he said he was ok. But he then gave up a ringing double to Knapp, who is hitting .156 by the way, and then a single through the right side, you could see he was laboring, but Roberts left him out there. Then the little pop up that fell between the hard charging Pollock, who was playing deep and Muncy who gave up on the ball. Harper up. game over. Pitiful

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      2. I didn’t see it, but I’ll take your word on it. I was watching it play out on Gameday and my gut told me not to let him pitch to Harper. Seems to me a good manager will use his eyes when necessary. How can you trust a player? None of them want to come out.

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  8. As you pointed out Bear, only three guys can be added in September this year. Smith for sure, and I would expect two pitchers rather than Lux. He’ll come to Spring Training next year and have his chance to make the team. Otherwise he’ll start 2020 in OKC and probably be up by mid season.
    Jansen and Kersh seem to have their own rules on this team. You don’t do anything that might offend them or make them angry. Jansen was obviously laboring starting immediately after he got hit with that ball. The decision wasn’t his, it was Doc’s, and Doc abdicated.

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    1. Doc abdicated. Sounds like maybe grounds for a medical malpractice suit.

      Good take on the call ups Jefe. More pitching sounds like a good idea to me. More better pitching sounds even gooder. Unless it’s a blowout, we don’t need another Rosscup in there. (Note to all young pitchers – throw strikes. If they hit ‘em, you ain’t good enough and that’s something everybody, including you, needs to know).

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  9. Amazingly, only 2 of the Phillies hitters have taken Maeda deep. Neither Hoskins or Harper have hit a homer off of him. Turner is the only Dodger who has homered off of Piveta.

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  10. One thing I would almost bet the house on is that Ol Andy does not pay the high price some of these relievers are going to cost. I think he will go with one of the ones we least expect. Not Hand or even Smith. He might even opt for former Dodger Daniel Hudson who has a sub 2 ERA since the first week of the season. But as usual, we will not know until it is over.

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    1. It’s a safe bet that he will try to squeeze fine wine out of used sanitaries…. ok, bad metaphor….. but you get the point. I’m taking a riskier position on this – I’m betting 25 push-ups he dives in the deep end on this one.

      Sanitaries. Old school. How many of you actually wore them?

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    1. He has been very good for the Sox. I doubt he would come real cheap, but the Sox might want someone more MLB ready than a lower level player.

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  12. New report says the Giants, despite their recent hot streak will most likely still be sellers at the deadline. Do AF and Zaidi make a deal? 4 Giants relievers seem to be hot commodities. Dyson, Smith, Watson and Moronta. Old friend Wilmer Font traded north of the border to the Jays. He was with the Mets. Royals traded Gore to the Yankees. He was sent to their AAA team.

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  14. Dodgers signed the Mets 11th round draft pick after he failed to reach an agreement with the Mets. Jansen is not available for tonight’s game, go figure. Roberts was not happy about Jansen’s post game comments and they supposedly had a discussion about it. Tonight’s lineup, Joc, Max, Freese, Belli, Pollock, Seager, Hernandez, Martin, Maeda. So guys, who gets the closer mantle tonight if they need one????? I suggest Urias.

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  15. Rocks, Giants and Padres are all virtually tied for 3rd. Freese is starting at 1st tonight and Muncy is at 3rd. DJ Peters is playing much better at AAA than he did at AA. He is hitting .361 and has 10 extra base hits in 17 games. 4 homers and 14 ribbies. Smith has 18 homers in 56 games and is hitting .279. Peters has struck out 18 times, but has also walked 13 times. Meanwhile Jeter Downs has 14 homers at RC and 20 bags. Hitting .257. Lux is hitting .500 in 13 games and also has 4 homers and 14 ribbies since joining OKC.

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  16. Gray, who was also acquired from the Reds is 7-0 at RC in 12 starts. Kendall is below the Mendoza line and sinking.

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  17. Giants pounding the Rockies again at Coors. Colorado is a mess. Darvish shuts down the Reds and Kimbrel gets save #4.

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