The Dodgers Reliever Wish List Shrinks With Herrera Off the Board

KANSAS CITY, MO - MAY 15: Kelvin Herrera #40 of the Kansas City Royals pitches in the ninth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Kauffman Stadium on May 15, 2018 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, MO - MAY 15: Kelvin Herrera #40 of the Kansas City Royals pitches in the ninth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Kauffman Stadium on May 15, 2018 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)
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KANSAS CITY, MO – MAY 15: Kelvin Herrera #40 of the Kansas City Royals pitches in the ninth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Kauffman Stadium on May 15, 2018 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, MO – MAY 15: Kelvin Herrera #40 of the Kansas City Royals pitches in the ninth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Kauffman Stadium on May 15, 2018 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) /

The Dodgers figure to be buyers as usual prior to the July 31st non-waiver trade deadline.  With their rotation getting healthier by the day, the Dodgers main priority is going to be to bolster their bullpen.

The trade deadline season officially kicked off on Monday evening as the Washington Nationals acquired Royals closer Kelvin Herrera for three prospects.  Herrera was likely a reliever the Dodgers were monitoring since he is very good and a pending free agent on a rebuilding team.  With Herrera off the board, the Dodgers reliever wish list has shrunk by one.

There are still plenty of reliever options available for the Dodgers so they shouldn’t be in a rush to pull off a deal.  As the deadline approaches some of the losing teams with pending free agents are going to get more anxious to deal and possibly settle for fewer prospects in return.  Some of the more obvious losing teams with relievers to sell off are the Cincinnati Reds and Baltimore Orioles.  Here is a breakdown of the top relievers that figure to be on the trade block for the Dodgers to potentially acquire.

OAKLAND, CA – APRIL 22: Blake Treinen #39 of the Oakland Athletics pitches against the Boston Red Sox during the ninth inning at the Oakland Coliseum on April 22, 2018 in Oakland, California. The Oakland Athletics defeated the Boston Red Sox 4-1. (Photo by Jason O. Watson/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA – APRIL 22: Blake Treinen #39 of the Oakland Athletics pitches against the Boston Red Sox during the ninth inning at the Oakland Coliseum on April 22, 2018 in Oakland, California. The Oakland Athletics defeated the Boston Red Sox 4-1. (Photo by Jason O. Watson/Getty Images) /

The Ace Relievers

Blake Treinen (1.06 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, .176 AVG Allowed)

The Oakland A’s are one of the teams in rebuilding that have a valuable reliever they can deal away to net them prospects.  Treinen will be thirty years old in a little more than a week so the A’s are going to be open to dealing him away and selling high while his value is at an all-time high.  Treinen is under contract for two more seasons so he will cost the Dodgers a prospect like Verdugo as well as a few more decent prospects.

Treinen features a wicked sinker that averages 96.8 miles per hour and is a pitch that makes you wonder how it is ever hit.  Treinen is currently serving as the A’s closer so he is used to high leverage situations and would provide the Dodgers with a top-notch setup man and a closer to fill in for Jansen when necessary.

Kyle Barraclough (1.15 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, .089 AVG allowed)

The Miami Marlins are another one of the known rebuilding teams after they traded away Stanton and Yelich this past winter.  They have another valuable asset to deal away in Kyle Barraclough.  Barraclough is under team control through arbitration for three more seasons so he is another trade target who is going to cost something to get a very good reliever in return.

Barraclough has been downright dominant this season allowing an opponent’s average under .100 and he would give the Dodgers a dominant combo at the end of games.  The Dodgers would easily replace Brandon Morrow by acquiring a reliever like Kyle Barraclough and they would have him under control for a reasonable rate for multiple seasons.  If the Dodgers want to aim high they should target Treinen or Barraclough.

CLEVELAND, OH – SEPTEMBER 10: Zach Britton #53 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches against the Cleveland Indians in the eighth inning at Progressive Field on September 10, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Indians defeated the Orioles 3-2, (Photo by David Maxwell/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH – SEPTEMBER 10: Zach Britton #53 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches against the Cleveland Indians in the eighth inning at Progressive Field on September 10, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Indians defeated the Orioles 3-2, (Photo by David Maxwell/Getty Images) /

The Pending Free Agents

Zach Britton – (3 innings pitched, 0 runs)

Britton recently returned from his torn Achilles tendon that was suffered in the past offseason.  He has only pitched three innings so far but so far he has looked healthy averaging 93.9 MPH on his sinking fastball.  The Orioles owner Peter Angelos is not one to sell low on players so he is going to wait until right before the deadline to potentially deal away Britton with Britton showing he’s healthy for the next month.  The one complication is that he’s owed 12 million this season so the Dodgers would need to Orioles to eat some money to make a deal happen.  With Tony Cingrani experiencing more shoulder issues, the Dodgers could use another shutdown lefty in the bullpen.

Brad Brach – (3.58 ERA, 1.70 WHIP, .274 AVG allowed)

The longtime setup man Brad Brach is due to become a free agent this winter making him a feasible trade option to bolster the Dodger bullpen.  Brach has had an up and down season posting an ERA of four in April and June, but his May ERA was under one so he can still be a good middle relief option.  Brach also has been filling in for Britton while he made his recovery so he is another setup man with closing experience.  Brach is one of the least costly options in terms of what it would take to get him but he is also not as dominant as some of the other trade options.

CINCINNATI, OH – MAY 24: David Hernandez #37 of the Cincinnati Reds pitches in the seventh inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Great American Ball Park on May 24, 2018 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Reds won 5-4. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OH – MAY 24: David Hernandez #37 of the Cincinnati Reds pitches in the seventh inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Great American Ball Park on May 24, 2018 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Reds won 5-4. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

Under the Radar Trade Targets

David Hernandez – (2.01 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, .175 AVG allowed)

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The Dodgers should be very familiar with David Hernandez since he was a reliable setup man for the Arizona Diamondbacks for several years.  This season Hernandez has had a stellar bounce-back season posting very good numbers.  One impressive stat for Hernandez is that in his twenty-two innings of work this season, he has not yet allowed a home run.

That is even more impressive when you remember that he pitches in one of the biggest hitters parks in baseball.  David Hernandez is also signed for the 2019 season for only two million dollars so he would be a very budget friendly upgrade for the Dodgers.  Although he does not throw as hard as he once did, Hernandez still averages 92.7 MPH on his fastball with nice movement.

Jared Hughes (1.21 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, .223 AVG allowed)

Hughes has flown under the radar for several seasons now.  Since 2014, Jared Hughes has been a very solid reliever for the Pirates, Brewers, and now the Reds.  Like Hernandez, Jared Hughes is signed for next season on an affordable contract of 2.1 million.  Hughes is another sinker ball pitcher and as a result, he has allowed only one home run this season pitching in an extreme hitter’s park.

Next: Dodgers Quick Hits: Verdugo, Hill, Rain out

The Reds are trying to fully rebuild while hanging on to Joey Votto so trading away some veteran relievers like Hughes and Hernandez is one of their goals for the trade deadline.  The Dodgers are looking for anothe reliable setup reliever to pair with Josh Fields and if they want a low cost reliever then they would be smart to target Hughes or Hernandez.

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