Dodgers: Could Andrew Friedman Turn to a Rival For Bullpen Help?

The Dodgers need some bullpen help, especially in the form of another left-handed reliever.  The Giants have a pair of veteran left-handers that could help LA.

The Dodgers and Giants make up one of the biggest rivalries in baseball.  With former Dodgers’ General Manager Farhan Zaidi now running the show in San Francisco, there is a much better chance of the rivals completing a trade.  The Giants have two left-handed relievers in Will Smith and Tony Watson, and that happens to be LA’s biggest need right now.

With Joe Kelly almost completing another meltdown Monday night, the Dodgers could use another reliable reliever and a left-hander would be even better.  Caleb Ferguson and Scott Alexander have been ineffective this season and Julio Urias is a legit late-inning option but he is still not out of the woods with his domestic violence investigation.  Then there is Tony Cingrani who suffered another setback and is scheduled to undergo an MRI.

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Will Smith would be the big fish the Dodgers could land at the trade deadline.  Smith is in the final year of his contract before free agency so the Giants are going to move him.  He is currently a perfect 12-12 in save opportunities this season.  He is effective against lefties (.176) and righties (.167) which would make him the best relief target for the Dodgers.  Not only can Smith get southpaw batters out, but he can also be the eighth-inning setup reliever with his ability to get right-handed batters out.

The “B” option for the Dodgers could be Tony Watson.  Watson was part of the Dodgers’ 2017 team and is still a reliable veteran reliever.  Although lefties have hit .346 against him this season, they have hit just .242 against him over the last three seasons.  Like Will Smith, Tony Watson is capable of getting right-handed batters out although he is not as dominant as Smith.  Watson is under contract for one more season and is scheduled to earn just 2.5 million in 2020.

While Julio Urias is the Dodgers’ best southpaw reliever right now, the team needs another reliable lefty since Julio is more useful than being the lefty specialist.  No other rival executive knows the Dodgers’ farm system better than Farhan Zaidi and the Giants have two lefties that could provide a boost to LA’s bullpen.  Andrew Friedman would be wise to reconnect with Farhan and try to pry one southpaw away from the rivals to the north.