With the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline fast approaching, the Los Angeles Dodgers find themselves prominently linked to some of the biggest names that may be on the move in the near future.
That was especially evident on Tuesday, when a report indicated that the Dodgers are at the forefront in talks for Baltimore Orioles star shortstop Manny Machado. A trade is widely expected to be completed within the next couple days.
The Dodgers trading for the four-time All-Star isn’t expected to preclude them from possibly improving other areas of their roster. They figure to in the hunt for additional bullpen help as well, despite previously swinging a trade with the Cincinnati Reds to acquire Dylan Floro and Zach Neal.
So much so that an executive in the organization conceded that the club is in dire need of acquiring more relievers during the time Machado speculation was running rampant, per Andy McCullough of the L.A. Times:
The bullpen remains an area of concern. “We need arms,” one team official lamented earlier month, as a raft of relievers landed on the disabled list, with Josh Fields, Tony Cingrani, Pedro Baez and Yimi Garcia all on the shelf.
While the Dodgers are expected to eventually see the returns of the aforementioned injured relievers, they conceivably could target an impact arm as an effort to form a dominant one-two punch with closer Kenley Jansen in the backend of the bullpen.
Among some options include Orioles’ left-hander Zach Britton, who the Dodgers previously expressed interest in last season. Baltimore may opt to package him in a trade with Machado to net a greater prospect return, as they look to rebuild their farm system.
The Cincinnati Reds could also shop closer Raisel Iglesias, who fits the mold of an elite reliever that could pair with Jansen in the eighth and ninth innings. And the San Diego Padres might explore trading Brad Hand.
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