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3 under-the-radar bullpen options for Dodgers to consider at trade deadline

By Thomas Carannante |
MIAMI, FLORIDA - APRIL 19: Tanner Scott #66 of the Miami Marlins looks on after pitching against the St. Louis Cardinals at loanDepot park on April 19, 2022 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FLORIDA - APRIL 19: Tanner Scott #66 of the Miami Marlins looks on after pitching against the St. Louis Cardinals at loanDepot park on April 19, 2022 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
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While the 2022 trade deadline is shaping up to be one of the most hectic of all time, that’s kind of how you know it probably won’t be. Nothing ever lives up to that kind of hype.

So in the event everyone’s underwhelmed, Los Angeles Dodgers fans need to keep their eyes on some under-the-radar candidates Andrew Friedman might be forced to pursue should the top options either be too expensive or remain with their current teams.

The biggest area of need for the Dodgers is pitching of all kinds, but particularly the bullpen, where the losses of Blake Treinen, Brusdar Graterol, Victor Gonzalez and Tommy Kahnle have really put a strain on the current cast.

LA simply can’t keep trotting Phil Bickford out there with his 5.68 ERA. Craig Kimbrel isn’t the closer everyone thought he might be. Alex Vesia has taken a step back. Though Yency Almonte and Evan Phillips have taken pleasant, unexpected leaps, that won’t be enough to lead the charge through October.

Some of the aforementioned injured players will eventually return, but there’s no guarantee they’ll be as effective as they once were. The Dodgers need as much insurance as they can get because … is David Price actually going to be relied upon as the stakes get higher? Hope not!

3 under-the-radar relievers Dodgers could target at trade deadline

Tanner Scott #66 of the Miami Marlins (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Tanner Scott #66 of the Miami Marlins (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

3. Tanner Scott

First up, a lefty! The Dodgers need another one, and perhaps they might view Marlins closer (?) Tanner Scott has a viable (and quick) reclamation project. Scott’s ERA (4.32) and WHIP (1.42) are unsightly, but he’s got 13 saves, 59 strikeouts in 41.2 innings, and a 3.46 FIP. Maybe things aren’t so bad!

Then you peek at the advanced metrics and, oh man, this has “Dodgers” written all over it. You thought Andrew Heaney’s peripherals revealed room for improvement? Scott’s Baseball Savant Page is mostly all bright red, with the exception of walk percentage (2nd percentile!). Every other important metric (average exit velocity, hard hit percentage, expected batting average, expected slugging, whiff percentage, strikeout percentage and fastball spin) are all among the best in the league.

Don’t you forget about Scott’s shortened 2020 season, which was essentially his breakout (1.31 ERA, 1.07 WHIP in 25 games). Something’s there. Scott could be had for very little and could be “untapped” relatively quickly under the Dodgers’ tutelage.

Mychal Givens #60 of the Chicago Cubs (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)
Mychal Givens #60 of the Chicago Cubs (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images) /

2. Mychal Givens

The Chicago Cubs struck gold with tradeable relief assets, with David Robertson leading the way and Scott Effross not far behind. Even Chris Martin and Rowan Wick are solid options! But perhaps the Dodgers should be eying Mychal Givens, who’s sporting a 2.72 ERA, 3.95 FIP and 1.26 WHIP with 49 strikeouts in 39.2 innings.

The crafty right-hander sports a four-seam fastball (94 MPH), a slider (85 MPH) and a changeup (82 MPH), with enough of a velocity disparity to consistently throw hitters off. He has three issues: he walks far too many batters (13th percentile) and he barely gets anybody to chase (12th percentile).

He doesn’t give up a lot of hard contact, though, and his other important advanced metrics are in the red. Good sign.

Additionally, Givens has been exposed to plenty of high-leverage situations throughout his career dating back to his days in Baltimore, where he recorded 20 saves and finished 89 games in 336 innings. Righties cannot hit him, and he’s fairly effective against lefties.

Right now, Givens is signed to a one-year, $5 million contract and has a $3.5 million mutual option for 2023. Could be a move that pans out for the next year and a half for the Dodgers at a relatively low cost.

Scott Barlow #58 of the Kansas City Royals (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Scott Barlow #58 of the Kansas City Royals (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

1. Scott Barlow

Here’s an intriguing option. The Royals are bad and have plenty of assets to sell … but is righty reliever Scott Barlow one of them? He’s been dominant this year after a breakout 2021, which will no longer make him a cost-effective option for a small market like Kansas City.

Barlow is making $2.4 million in his first year of arbitration eligibility, a number that will continue to increase beyond the Royals’ comfort level if he continues to pitch well (he’s already going to make considerably more than that in 2023).

Enter the Dodgers, who can absorb the cost, which might not make Barlow as expensive as he should be. The slider-heavy 29-year-old owns a 1.93 ERA, 3.55 FIP and 0.93 WHIP with 45 strikeouts in 46.2 innings of work this year. He’s limiting hard contact and gets a ton of outs via the ground ball (in fact, a career high at 46.3% for inducing grounders).

Depending on the Royals’ asking price, this could be a prudent investment for LA, giving them a potential elite bullpen arm for 2.5 years. Throw in Barlow’s 16 saves, and hell, he could replace Kimbrel here and there! With a surplus of a lot of things in the farm system, the Dodgers could afford to part with some promising talent to fortify the bullpen for multiple seasons, since the front office will also have a lot of work to do for 2023 and 2024 in this department.

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