Perhaps the Los Angeles Dodgers’ biggest need at the non-waiver trade deadline was to add bullpen help as many of their relievers have struggled all throughout the 2018 season.
They didn’t end up making any big bullpen acquisitions though as their only addition was John Axford from the Toronto Blue Jays. He appeared in three games before landing on the 10-day disabled list due to a fractured fibula.
The bullpen struggles have continued throughout the month of August, so the Dodgers front office may still be looking to add to that unit via a waiver trade. Although, they are running out of time with the Aug. 31 deadline just around the corner.
It is possible that they have found their match, as according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com, the Dodgers claimed on Washington Nationals reliever Ryan Madson on revocable waivers:
The Dodgers, who had interest three years ago when he was a free agent, put in a waiver claim for Nationals reliever Ryan Madson, according to a baseball source. Madson just came off the DL with lumbar irritation.
— Ken Gurnick (@kengurnick) August 29, 2018
As Gurnick mentioned, Madson recently came off the disabled list and is having a rough season, so he is a bit of a question mark if the Dodgers were to work out a deal with the Nationals for him.
In 49 games this season, Madson has posted a 5.28 ERA, 4.35 FIP and 1.42 WHIP while striking out 41 and walking 15 in 44.1 innings. Those numbers are a bit inflated after his last three appearances in which he gave up six runs in just 2.2 innings.
The 13-year veteran has had a very successful Major League career though and is just one season removed from pitching to a 1.83 ERA in 60 games between the Nationals and Oakland Athletics. So if the Dodgers do complete a move for him before the deadline, they would be hoping that he could regain that form in the last month of the season.
This isn’t the first Nationals player that the Dodgers have claimed on waivers this month as they did so with outfielder Bryce Harper, although the two teams didn’t end up working out a deal.
The Dodgers and Nationals have 48 hours (approximately until Friday afternoon) to potentially work out a trade. Washington could elect to award Madson to the Dodgers, and at that point they would assume the remaining $1.3 million on his contract.
