Dodgers: 5 Under the Radar Trade Targets

The Dodgers are nearing the 2017 trade deadline, and even though they are blazing through the National League, they still have room to improve. They could use some another left-handed reliever, and another bullpen arm wouldn’t hurt.

The Dodgers were once three deep at the southpaw reliever spot, but now Adam Liberatore can’t seem to stay healthy for the second consecutive season, and both Grant Dayton and Luis Avilan have had stints on the disabled list too.

The Dodgers are rumored to have an interest in Tigers’ outfielder JD Martinez, but there really are no alternatives on the trade market for him. They have also been linked to lefty reliever Justin Wilson but there are numerous teams interested in him, and Zach Britton may not actually be on the trade block.

One could also make the case they could use another arm in the rotation. Management wants to avoid using Kershaw on short rest in the first round of the playoffs, and just about every Dodger pitcher currently in the rotation has had an injury in the last year.  With the Dodgers looking stronger than they have in recent memory, some rotation insurance would not be a bad idea. With many teams interested in the upper-tier arms, the Dodgers may need to go another route if they want to keep the farm system intact.

Regarding adding another reliever, numerous options could be on the market. With parity throughout the league, there are so many teams still in on the Wild Card chase, but the following players are possible trade targets on teams that are not in contention. If the Dodgers offered the right package for one of these players, it is likely LA could acquire them.

Ryan Buchter – San Diego Padres

The Dodgers once had Ryan Buchter in camp during the 2015 season when they signed him to a minor league deal. All he’s done since 2015 is post a solid season and a half, evidenced by a 2.86 ERA last season and has a 3.12 ERA so far this season.

Buchter is not eligible to become a free agent until after the 2021 season so he would not be a rental. Although he would likely cost a couple of solid prospects, he will cost way less to acquire than Brad Hand. The Padres have reportedly asked for Alex Verdugo in trade talks, and that is a steep price to pay for a situational reliever.

Buchter has held opposing left-handed hitters to a .184 average this season after limiting them to a .147 average in 2016.  Right-handed hitters are also only batting .222 against him, so Buchter could stay in to face them if necessary.

The Padres tried selling high on Buchter last season but held on to him. Now that Brad Hand is the better trade commodity, the Dodgers could get a steal in trading for Buchter. Los Angeles could move players like Brock Stewart and Josh Sborz, and that should be good enough to complete the deal for a cost-controlled lefty who is under team control for several years.

Pat Neshek – Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies signed Pat Neshek to have a trade piece to deal away at the trade deadline, and that is exactly what they’re looking to do. At age 36, Neshek is not an ideal player to keep on a team that is in the middle of rebuilding so the Dodgers could get the Phillies to deal him away. Dave Roberts does not seem to trust his eighth inning options as he has routinely called on Kenley Jansen to get more than three outs.

Once October rolls around, the Dodgers need to be able to trust their setup options. Using Jansen for more than three outs could make him unable to pitch the next day which, in back to back playoff games, could serve detrimental to Los Angeles.

Neshek would give the Dodgers a trusted setup man as he has a stellar 1.24 ERA and can get left-handed hitters out. Despite being a righty, Neshek could fill the role of a lefty specialist since he holds lefties to a .180 batting average.

Although it’s a bit outside the box, Neshek has playoff experience and can be effective. Friedman should get Dave Roberts his trusted eighth inning man, so Jansen only has to go one inning.

Tony Cingrani – Cincinnati Reds 

Tony Congrani once appeared to be on his way to establishing himself as a staple in the Reds’ rotation. In 2013 he burst onto the scene posting a 2.92 ERA in 18 starts. Since then he’s been hit by injuries and ineffectiveness.

This year the Reds shifted Cingrani to the bullpen, and he has become a big part of it. He has a 3.38 ERA and is holding left-handed hitters to a .226 average. He’s run into some trouble in July, but in the first three months, he had an ERA under three.

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Cingrani has a power arm that routinely sits in the 94-95 mile per hour range. His arm would give the Dodgers and added dimension since they don’t have a hard throwing left-hander reliever.

He does have some injury concern but then again, isn’t every pitcher a ticking time bomb? The Dodgers could also use Cingrani as more than just a situational left-hander since right-handers hit just .250 off of him, which isn’t great but it’s not horrible either.

The Dodgers need more depth from their current assortment of left-handed relievers so adding a flamethrower like Cingrani would give Dave Roberts a welcomed addition.

Dan Straily – Miami Marlins

The Dodgers just faced off against Straily on Saturday, and he limited them to two earned runs in five innings. Straily is under team control through the 2020 season, but since he is due for a raise in arbitration and will be 29 later this year, the Marlins could choose to deal him for younger pitching prospects.

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Straily won 14 games in 2016 pitching in the bandbox known as Great American Ballpark.  He has also been solid this season with his 7-4 record and 3.32 ERA.

While he is not an ace like Yu Darvish or Chris Archer, he is a very solid pitcher and would provide the Dodgers with some rotation depth that they lost due to Julio Urias’s shoulder surgery.

Hyun-Jin Ryu has also been unable to stay healthy, so the LA depth is slowly eroding. With Alex Wood and Rich Hill being injury prone the Dodgers would be wise to add one more rotation arm for insurance purposes. That also isn’t accounting for the chance that Brandon McCarthy develops the YIPS again.

Due to the Rays and Rangers being in the Wild Card hunt, the Dodgers likely won’t have a shot at dealing for Archer or Darvish. Besides them, there is not a big difference maker on the market.

Sonny Gray is available, but he has been unable to stay healthy and would cost multiple top prospects to acquire. Not to mention there are numerous teams interested in him, so the team that acquires him will likely have to overpay in prospects.

Next: Rich Hill's Resurgence

With Farhan Zaidi and Andrew Friedman smart enough to keep the farm system strong, they could choose to land rotation depth like Dan Straily for a very low price.