Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
The only thing I know about the trade deadline is that the Dodgers are bound to do something. Whether it’s a splashy move or something subtler, they’re going to get help.
Who though? Well, let’s see.
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Edwin Diaz is a popular buy-low candidate, which is right up the alley of the Dodgers.
A formerly elite reliever that is having a terrible season and could maybe be acquired for less than elite return? The Dodgers were always gonna be involved.
That said, it’s hard to tell exactly what the Mets are doing at the moment after the trade for Marcus Stroman. They are the wild card of this deadline.
And that includes what they’re going to do with Noah Syndergaard, who the Dodgers are in on.
To reiterate, the teams that Mets see as best possible matches for Syndergaard are Padres, Dodgers, Braves, Rays, Yankees
— Andy Martino (@martinonyc) July 26, 2019
But what do they want? Joel Sherman says they’d want MLB pieces.
The Mets have let teams know that they would like a package to include a starter who can go into their rotation now — even if it is a No. 3 or No. 4 type — and then a few top prospects. They have portrayed that they will only move Syndergaard if they are overwhelmed by a proposal. But the fact that they had him on the block so prominently last offseason and again at this trade deadline has encouraged suitors that the Mets have no long-term desires with Syndergaard and that he is acquirable. One interested team described what the Mets went through as “an exercise” in the offseason and now, “If they get what they want, I think they will do this. One thing is clear: They are not rebuilding with or without Syndergaard. The Mets only do this if they think it is a way to be more competitive next year by getting more depth or more prospect collateral. This would not be a pure prospect trade.”
Could the Dodgers sell them on Ross Stripling or even Tony Gonsolin? It’s a long shot but that’s the only way I could see them filling that demand for a starter that’s ready now. Either way, as we have covered in our Trade Deadline Targets feature on the two Mets pitchers, it’s gonna be costly.
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As far as relief help, things still center around Felipe Vazquez, but there’s hope as Jon Morosi says the Pirates seem open to a deal that includes Keibert Ruiz.
Unfortunately for the Dodgers, dominant lefty relievers are in short supply on this year’s midseason trade market. Pirates closer Felipe Vázquez is the Dodgers’ first choice among possible bullpen acquisitions, sources say. While the price will be steep, one source said on Friday that the Pirates have spoken about Vazquez more extensively with the Dodgers than other suitors. Sources say Pittsburgh is expected to seek a premium bat and premium arm in return for Vazquez, as if to atone for the departures of Austin Meadows and Tyler Glasnow in the Chris Archer trade a year ago. One industry source said the Pirates are likely to establish the asking price at May and Ruiz — and perhaps one additional player — in their talks with the Dodgers.
Now they just need to be talked down from Dustin May to some combination of lesser prospects. Either way, it’s possible, perhaps for something like what we had already speculated in our Trade Deadline Targets feature on this trade.
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Two names that haven’t been brought up yet are Amir Garrett and Chris Martin, from a Jorge Castillo report.
The Cincinnati Reds have fallen eight games out of the wild-card race, a slide that could make left-hander Amir Garrett available. Garrett has a 1.85 ERA in 45 appearances, and the Dodgers have interest. Jake Diekman of the Kansas City Royals has a 4.75 ERA in 48 games but has held left-handed hitters to a .617 OPS and wouldn’t require much prospect capital. In the right-handed aisle, Chris Martin of the Texas Rangers has a 1.53 ERA and 22 strikeouts to no walks in his last 18 outings. The Rangers also could move Jose Leclerc, but Martin seems a likelier possibility for the Dodgers. The Baltimore Orioles’ Mychal Givens, who has struck out 12.2 batters per nine innings in 33 games, is another option.
Garrett seems like more of a lefty relief candidate than an impact arm based on name, but based on performance he’s as good as anybody else. He carries a 1.85 ERA, a 2.61 DRA, and is striking out 36.1% of batters faced. Though there is concern about his walk rate (13.3%), which is why his FIP is 3.08. He also lacks a track record as this is his breakout season, but it is his first season that he is throwing 58 percent sliders, which has made the difference for him.
Martin is notable for spending 2016 and 2017 in Japan, posting 1.07 and 1.19 ERAs for the Nippon Ham Fighters. While he had a bit of a rough first season back with the Rangers, he now carries a 3.08 ERA and 3.27 DRA. He has a stellar strikeout rate (29.3%) to walk rate (2.7%) ratio, but his FIP is 4.01 because he’s given up eight homers. Should he be a primary option? Probably not, could he be a secondary option that’s likely better and cheaper than Shane Greene? Absolutely.
As far as Givens goes, Dustin will have something on him soon.
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My fear is that Shane Greene will be the one reliever they acquire.
He could be an effective ROOGY, but there’s red flags, as pointed out in the last rumors article.
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On the Giants relief front, no real update in almost a week.
Is Farhan Zaidi actually going to sit tight or even buy? It would still shock me, but there hasn’t been much to indicate anything is happening on this front.
