Adding relief pitching help before the trade deadline does not seem to be the biggest priority for the Los Angeles Dodgers as they focus more on starting pitching and an outfield bat.
With an already strong bullpen and potentially some more internal reinforcements working their way back, the team is playing with house money at this point.
However, that does not mean that the team is completely ignoring the relief pitching market. The Dodgers still remain interested in Miami Marlins’ closer Tanner Scott, and they could make minor moves for a project or mid-tier reliever.
The Oakland Athletics’ Mason Miller is another name that has drawn interest from contending teams across MLB. Miller burst on to the scene this season with a 2.21 ERA in 40.2 innings and has struck out an absurd 45.8% of batters faced this season in route to his first All-Star nomination.
With plenty of high-end relievers already on the roster, Miller would be more of a luxury than a need for the Dodgers, but they still checked in on jim before he suffered an injury, according to Robert Murray of FanSided:
Before Mason Miller was placed on the Injured List with a broken left hand, the Los Angeles Dodgers were among the teams to express interest in the Oakland Athletics’ star closer, according to major-league sources.
With five years of team control beyond this season and the quality of player he is, the odds of Miller being traded this year were pretty slim due to the cost it would take for any team to acquire him.
Players like him aren’t usually available in the first place, but stranger things have happened when dealing with the Athletics and their ownership. However, being placed on the injured list recently will likely keep him from being traded at the deadline:
The price for Miller, 25, was described by one source as “egregious.” The expectation before the injury was that Miller would stay in Oakland and the injury seemingly ensures that he will not be traded before the July 30 deadline.
Miller was placed on the 15-day IL retroactive to July 23 due to a broken left hand. There is currently no timetable for Miller’s return.
Still, he is arguably MLB’s best closer and throws a fastball that averages, yes averages, 100.9 mph, making him an in intriguing fit for any contending team.
Dodgers 2024 bullpen
The Dodgers have had a top-10 bullpen in all of baseball for a majority of the 2024 season and have been a top-5 unit at times. They have done this while also throwing the 4th most innings in MLB this season.
The Milwaukee Brewers are the only team to have thrown more innings and have a better ERA than the Dodgers’ bullpen in 2024.
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