With Manny Machado in the fold, the Los Angeles Dodgers are believed to be scouting the pitching market ahead of the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. It was to be expected, as general manager Farhan Zaidi said the club would remain mindful of potential upgrades.
The general belief is the Dodgers are primarily focused on addressing their bullpen. They were linked to Zach Britton before the Baltimore Orioles closer was traded to the New York Yankees, and reportedly scouted relief pitchers from the Miami Marlins and Tampa Bay Rays.
As it stands, the Dodgers currently have six healthy starting pitchers now that Walker Buehler returned from Triple-A Oklahoma City and is expected to remain with the club for the duration of the season.
Moreover, Hyun-Jin Ryu is making progress in his recovery from a groin strain and conceivably could be reinstated from the 60-day disabled list within the next few weeks.
Nonetheless, the Dodgers reportedly were among the teams to have scouts at recent starts Matt Harvey made, according to Jim Bowden of The Athletic:
Matt Harvey last start scouts from Boston, Cleveland, LA Dodgers, Phillies, Giants, Cardinals were present (of course some were there to see other players) also Yankees and Braves have shown some type of interest. AVG FB up to 95 mph last 7 starts and GB rate up from 40 to 50%
— Jim Bowden (@JimBowdenGM) July 27, 2018
Harvey was with the New York Mets until their trade with the Cincinnati Reds in May. It marked the end of an era in New York and spawned from Harvey declining a Minor League assignment after he was demoted from the rotation to the bullpen.
In eight games (four starts) with the Mets, Harvey went 0-2 with a 7.00 ERA, 5.69 FIP and 1.56 WHIP. Since joining the Reds, he’s 5-4 with a 4.50 ERA, 4.65 FIP and 1.22 WHIP in 13 starts.
It’s unclear which role the Dodgers would look to utilize Harvey in, if they were to complete a trade. Although he struggled out of the bullpen and in general, Los Angeles has shown a willingness to gamble on upside and rely on their scouting and mechanical adjustments to aid a pitcher.
Regardless, the Dodgers may ultimately be on the outside looking in, as the Milwaukee Brewers and Reds are said to be engaged in ongoing trade talks for the veteran right-hander.
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