With the 2019 MLB trade deadline just a few, short weeks away, fans of the Dodgers shouldn’t be surprised when one or more of the team’s valued prospects is moved in a deal, most likely to upgrade a bullpen that’s been heavily criticized for most of the season.
Many fans of the Dodgers seemed to have mixed feelings after the 2018 non-waiver deadline passed on Tuesday afternoon. Some folks believed that the offense became a potential juggernaut with the addition of infielder Brian Dozier, while others felt the team missed several beneficial opportunities by passing up numerous relievers which were eventually snatched up by rival clubs. Nevertheless, there’s still about a month remaining when clubs are able to make waiver trades, which gives Los Angeles an ample amount of time to sort out all of its internal resources.
Similar to years past, the Dodgers waited until the closing hours of the 2018 non-waiver deadline to make multiple additions to the player roster. To compliment its move two weeks ago in gaining Manny Machado, the club acquired infielder Brian Dozier from the Twins and righty reliever John Axford from the Blue Jays on Tuesday.
The non-waiver trade deadline is tomorrow and if you believe all the rumors, the Dodgers seem to be in on every pitcher out there. There’s also some crazy rumor that they’re in on Bryce Harper, who may or may not be available. No way they go all in on Harper even if he was on the trade block. The best thing will be when it’s after 4pm EST Tuesda, and we know what was or wasn’t done to improve the team.
With two days left before the non-waiver trade deadline, things are relatively quiet, at least in terms of the whispers surrounding the camp of the Dodgers. Things are so silent that there have been rumors surfacing which are downright silly, including Los Angeles being first in line should the Nationals decide to become sellers and trade away outfielder Bryce Harper.
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On a daily basis, relievers seem to be being dealt left and right by clubs across both leagues. The supply appears to be almost unlimited, as bullpen pieces account for roughly 1/3 of all major league roster spots, along with the fact that new clubs are joining the seller list with each passing game. Yet, as all these trades continue to be orchestrated, the Dodgers are still relatively quiet. Some believe that they will indeed make one or more upgrades to the bullpen soon, while others feel they actually have enough options in-house to get the job done in the postseason.
The non-waiver trade deadline is just over three days away. So far, the Dodgers have made probably the biggest splash, acquiring Manny Machado from the Baltimore Orioles. Will they make more? Do they really need to?
Although the deadline for non-waiver trades is now inside a week, there still appears to be no conspicuous sense of urgency by the management team of the Dodgers to make any additional roster moves.
Rumors have been swirling and gaining strength all throughout the week. It even seemed early today that the trade was not going to happen. Tonight, though, the rumors became official news—Manny Machado is now a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Dodgers got the ball rolling during early trade season on Wednesday afternoon, acquiring right-handed pitcher Dylan Floro, minor-league right-handed pitcher Zach Neal and international signing bonus pool space from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for minor league right-handed pitchers James Marinan and Aneurys Zabala.