Just about every contender in baseball is in search of relief help ahead of Tuesday’s 1 p.m. PT non-waiver trade deadline, and one team that is selling bullpen pieces in the Texas Rangers.
The Rangers have a few decent relievers, including closer Keone Kela, that teams have inquired on. The Los Angeles Dodgers are among the clubs that Texas reportedly has been in discussions with.
Having already acquired Manny Machado from the Baltimore Orioles, the Dodgers’ sole focus ahead of the deadline is on bolstering their pitching staff, and the bullpen in particular.
It appears they can cross Kela off the wishlist though, as according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports, he has been traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates:
Source: Keone Kela has been traded to the Pirates.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 31, 2018
With the likes of Zach Britton, Brad Hand, Kelvin Herrera, Alex Colome and others all already being traded, Kela was one of the top relievers still available on the market.
He has appeared in 38 games for the Rangers this season, picking up 24 saves while yielding a 3.44 ERA, 2.97 FIP and 1.15 WHIP with 44 strikeouts and 14 walks in 36.2 innings.
Kela still has a handful of years of club control remaining, so the Pirates may have seen this as a long-term acquisition, although they have played well in recent weeks to get back into the postseason picture.
Meanwhile, with less than 24 hours until the deadline, the Dodgers will now shift their focus elsewhere. They have been linked to Brad Ziegler of the Miami Marlins, but they do have some competition for his services in the Chicago Cubs.
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