It's been an odd season for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The team has been great offensively and able to match the pace of the 2022 Dodgers despite losing several key players last offseason. However, the one constant of the team — its pitching staff — has been holding them back.
The Dodgers bullpen has been incredibly problematic this season and has been one of the worst in the entire sport. With a 4.90 ERA, the Dodgers' bullpen currently has the second-highest ERA in all of baseball and the highest ERA in the National League. That's not a recipe for success.
While it's easy to get wrapped up in the awful results and panic over the summer, there are reasons to be optimistic about the long-term potential of this unit. It may look bleak now, but as long as the Dodgers can stay in the playoff picture, the bullpen may not be as big of an issue come October.
3 reasons Dodgers fans shouldn't panic over the struggling bullpen
There's a trade deadline for a reason
The Dodgers consistently have one of the best farm systems in baseball and have continually shown the willingness to trade prospects for in-season additions. This year should be no different and the main focus should be the bullpen.
Luckily for the Dodgers, impact relievers might be the easiest thing to add at the deadline. The cost of these relievers isn't as high as an impact bat and there's always a laundry list of teams willing to part ways with their good relievers for young prospects.
There are several names the Dodgers could add to the bullpen via trade that would instantly provide the shot in the arm the team needs. The organization also has the resources to be aggressive and add more than one of them.
Fans have seen the Dodgers do this before as well. The 2017 bullpen wasn't in the best shape so the front office went out and traded for Tony Watson, Tony Cingrani and Sergio Romo. With better names on the market this year, the Dodgers' pen can improve even more.