3 remaining team needs for the Dodgers after signing Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow

San Diego Padres v Chicago White Sox
San Diego Padres v Chicago White Sox | Quinn Harris/GettyImages
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High-Leverage Relievers

Blake Treinen may be on his way to a return this season, and the Dodgers re-signed Joe Kelly already, but the team still needs to strengthen the back end of the bullpen. Evan Phillips and Brusdar Graterol did an amazing job holding down the late innings in 2023, but outside of those two, the Dodgers couldn't find much consistency. Shelby Miller was good when he was healthy and Ryan Brasier had an amazing turnaround after his departure from the Red Sox, but they're both free agents.

With Miller and Brasier coming off strong seasons, there's a possibility their market values are too high for the Dodgers to bring them back. If LA doesn't re-sign either, the void in the bullpen gets even larger. The Dodgers have already signed Daniel Hudson (to a minor-league deal) to start addressing this need, however, there are a few big names they could pursue to reinforce the bullpen and create an elite 7th-8th-9th inning set up. Aroldis Chapman and Josh Hader (who the Dodgers are reportedly interested in) are available closers who have been All-Stars in multiple years and could be intriguing fits for the Dodgers.

If they really want to show they're going all-in for 2024, signing Hader would definitely do just that. However, If LA makes expensive signings elsewhere (i.e. Yamamoto, Cease + an extension, etc.), there are other options that could help the Dodgers. Adam Ottavino, Matt Moore and Hector Neris, to name a few, are potential relievers the Dodgers may monitor who have a lot experience and would not be too expensive to sign. Regardless of who the Dodgers end up signing, the pitching staff will likely need some adjustments before the trade deadline if they can't fill the void adequately during free agency.

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