Dodgers: 3 NL West players LAD should target at MLB trade deadline

1. Daniel Bard

At this stage in the game, who doesn’t need a closer?

If the Dodgers plan to rely on Kenley Jansen and Blake Treinen as their relief pitchers, well, good luck with that. They could look no further than the Colorado Rockies to pick up bullpen arm Daniel Bard.

His name’s not as flashy as Josh Hader or Richard Rodriguez, but he struts his stuff on the mound. Looking at his track record, he seems like a bit of an injury liability, especially given he only pitched in two MLB games from 2013 to 2019. Bard struggled to find a spot on a team and ultimately retired in 2017, but he made a comeback in 2020 when Colorado took a chance on him. Last year, he struck out 9.9 per nine innings and posted a 3.65 ERA, which was right on par with his 3.64 FIP over 24.2 innings pitched.

This year, he’s remained one of the few reliable arms in the Rockies’ relief corps with the second most appearances for the team (20) and 10 saves as the team’s primary closer. His current 4.60 ERA leaves much to be desired, but when you consider he’s pitching half his games in an extremely hitter-friendly park, Bard’s not a bad pickup at all. If he takes the mound for LA, his high-90s fastball can step in and close out innings for the back end of the Dodgers’ bullpen. In a postseason when relief pitchers can make or break games, Bard provides undervalued depth at a low cost. He’s not the brightest trade option out there, but he’s one LA needs, stat.