Dodgers: Possible Southpaw Reliever Trade Candidates
Justin Wilson – Detroit Tigers
The Tigers are currently the middle of the pack but have stated they will sell if they are not better than .500 around the trade deadline. Their best pitching piece to sell off would be the left-handed reliever, Justin Wilson. Like Tony Watson, Wilson is currently the Tiger’s closer after Francisco Rodriguez failed to be the prolific closer he once was. Wilson could give the Dodgers a backup option to close and a left-hander who could be much more than a situational lefty reliever.
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Justin Wilson is a local product since he is from Anaheim and is the hardest throwing lefty reliever that figures to be on the market. According to mlb.com, Wilson averages 96 miles per hour on his fastball so he would be the hardest throwing left-hander on the Dodgers. While most situational lefties rely on off-speed pitches, Wilson goes right at them and blows his high heat fastball by them. This arsenal gives him a better chance to get right-handed hitters out so he could become the eighth inning man in addition to getting the opponent’s best left-handed hitter out.
Wilson turns 30 in August and has one more season of control through arbitration. While all hitters are batting under .200 against him, left-handers have done far worse against him as they are hitting .118 against him. After Tony Watson, I think Justin Wilson has the second-highest chance of becoming a Dodger. He is my favorite option due to his heavy fastball. I think he would provide something the Dodger bullpen doesn’t have which is a flame-throwing lefty and provide another weapon to a Dodger bullpen that currently ranks first in the National League.