Dodgers: 3 closers LAD can trade for if Kenley Jansen flops again

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The Los Angeles Dodgers always manage to “figure things out” with their bullpen, but in a year where they’re very clearly trying to repeat as World Series champs, there’s no sense in dealing with potential roster holes after all they’ve done this offseason.

Manager Dave Roberts named Kenley Jansen the closer to begin the 2021 season, but there’s no convincing anybody the right-hander isn’t on a short leash.

That’s especially clear when you factor in his struggles the past two seasons coupled with the emergence of Blake Treinen and Brusdar Graterol as well as the additions of Corey Knebel and Brandon Morrow.

The pitching staff is stacked, but having a shaky back end of the bullpen could prove to be detrimental when the Dodgers get down the stretch and into October.

So for argument’s sake, let’s say Jansen picks up where he left off in 2020 (remember, he was hardly used in high-leverage situations in the postseason) and the Dodgers don’t exactly trust anyone else to handle the ninth inning on a consistent basis.

Who could they go out and get?

Here are three closers the Dodgers could target before the trade deadline if Kenley Jansen fails.

Closing pitcher Josh Hader #71 of the Milwaukee Brewers (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /

3. Josh Hader

Here’s the most obvious option, yet the most unlikely. Josh Hader is among the best closers in the league but has been mentioned in trade rumors due to the Milwaukee Brewers’ precarious situation.

They aren’t exactly contending and they don’t really have a good farm system. So they’re just … a perennial Wild Card contender, and that’s their ceiling? Yeah, probably not what you want as an organization when Christian Yelich is the face of your franchise.

The reason the Brew Crew would trade Hader is because of the potential big haul they’d get in return, coupled with the fact fellow reliever Devin Williams could easily slot into the closer role. Additionally, Hader is under club control through 2023 — though he won’t be cheap — so the price will be high, but he’d be your closer for at least 2.5 full seasons.

Then again, the Padres are rumored to be in the running for Hader and the Dodgers may not get an opportunity to strike a deal before the deadline.

Like we said, unlikely. But one can dream.

Jose Leclerc #25 of the Texas Rangers (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

2. Jose Leclerc

The Texas Rangers are going nowhere, regardless of how you look at it. That’s why they remain one of the most intriguing squads for teams to call prior to the trade deadline, and one of their most valuable pieces could be back-end reliever Jose Leclerc.

Though they haven’t yet committed to him as their closer, he’s likely to claim the job unless Jonathan Hernandez dominates this spring while Leclerc falters. Nonetheless, Leclerc is a strikeout machine and could stand to benefit by getting out of the hellhole that is Texas.

His recent campaigns haven’t exactly been impressive, but he’s got 263 strikeouts across 189 career innings since debuting in 2016, and his 2018 season stands out above the rest. There’s reason to believe he can replicate that if he’s amongst other capable relievers and isn’t on a bottom-feeding roster.

That year, he maintained a 1.56 ERA and 0.85 WHIP with 12 saves and 85 strikeouts in 57.2 innings of work. He was in the top 1% of relievers for expected batting average, expected slugging percentage, wOBA, hard-hit percentage, and expected ERA. He was also in the top 1% for expected batting average and expected slugging percentage in 2019 despite his ERA ballooning to a 4.33 — his expected 3.06 ERA that year was in the top 10%.

There’s a lot to like here, especially since he has four pitches in his arsenal (though his slider is rarely utilized) and the Dodgers could pounce given his contract situation. The right-hander is signed through 2022 and then has team options for 2023 and 2024 at only $6 million a pop.

Amir Garrett #50 of the Cincinnati Reds (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images) /

1. Amir Garrett

The Cincinnati Reds are another team likely going nowhere fast after losing Trevor Bauer to free agency and trading closer Raisel Iglesias to the Los Angeles Angels. Their lineup is meh and their pitching staff is OK. If you couldn’t get the job done in the shortened season with better players than you have now, then you’re not going to do much of anything in a full 2021 campaign.

That’s why Amir Garrett will more than likely be available ahead of the trade deadline. The lefty has come a long way ever since transitioning from a starter to a reliever at the onset of his MLB career.

He debuted in 2017, was very bad as a starter, and switched to a bullpen role the very next season, with his last two campaigns standing out. And now he’ll be closing for Cincy in a few weeks.

Over his last 90 games, the left-hander owns a 3.03 ERA and 1.29 WHIP with 104 strikeouts across 74.1 innings of work. In 2019, his last full season of work, he ranked in the top 5% of the league in barrel percentage, top 10% in expected batting average, and top 3% in expected slugging percentage. He’s honed his fastball-slider combo and possesses that fire on the mound you absolutely need for a late-innings guy.

Not to mention, he’s under club control through 2024. He could be the centerpiece of the ‘pen if Jansen leaves in free agency while the Dodgers continue their usual effective patchwork from innings 6-8. Garrett’s both a short-term and long-term steal if he can be attained.

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Here are three closers the Dodgers could target before the trade deadline if Kenley Jansen fails.

3. Josh Hader

2. Jose Leclerc

1. Amir Garrett

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