3 risks Dodgers can still take to upgrade their bullpen

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The Los Angeles Dodgers are caught in between at the moment, transitioning off several beloved players in the lineup in order to Let The Kids Play, while also attempting to cover for the loss of Walker Buehler with a few patented Mark Prior additions.

Despite both areas of the roster being in flux, there's at least a familiar plan in place for both. The Dodgers' bullpen? Uh ... next.

Where's the patented injury recovery? Where's the mid-Tommy John rehab addition who can help down the line? Where's the total wild card -- well, other than Shelby Miller?

The Dodgers somehow managed not to be tempted by Matt Barnes after the Red Sox DFA'd him, even though he might as well have been fitted for Dodger Blue the second his name hit the waiver wire. That means there's still work for Andrew Friedman to do, and that work probably doesn't involve doling out $9 million to Matt Moore or Andrew Chafin.

These three risky moves could help the Dodgers flesh out their bullpen, though patience could be a virtue when dealing with all three players.

3 risky Dodgers moves that can change 2023 bullpen

Will Smith, LHP

Let's! Get! Both!

While Catcher Will Smith's future might not be as long in Los Angeles as once planned, the 33-year-old left-handed reliever he once victimized could play a key role on the 2023 roster, if the Dodgers are willing to buy into what the Houston Astros figured out down the stretch in 2022.

Between his time in Milwaukee, San Francisco and Atlanta, Smith has been one of the game's great lefty semi-closers for nearly a decade, but his '22 season started off weakly after a 2021 that stretched all the way through the end of the World Series.

Down the stretch in Houston post-deadline, though, Smith maintained his wipeout slider (41 Ks in 37 first-half innings, 24 in 22 frames with the Astros) while rediscovering his control (21 walks in the ATL, just four in Houston).

Smith isn't a sure thing. Any reliever entering his mid-30s has his hands on a red flag in his pocket even if he's not waving it yet. That said, the Dodgers' depth chart is lacking sure things, and Smith could be a marquee addition at a less-than-hefty price.

Alex Reyes, RHP

How has ... nobody bitten on former St. Louis Cardinals top prospect Alex Reyes yet?

It was just 2021 that Reyes, now in the bullpen full-time and still just 26 years old, managed to make the NL All-Star team. He threw 72.1 innings across 69 appearances -- truly throwing his starter past into the waste bin -- and struck out many (95) while walking many (52!!!).

What's holding up his market -- and what led to his non-tender -- is the shoulder injury that knocked his entire 2022 season off the map. Shoulders are finicky in the same way that elbow injuries are somewhat predictable. If Tommy John knocks a pitcher out, it's a massive bummer, but eventually, after thorough rehab, the stuff typically returns. After a few weeks or months of game action, so does the command. Boom. Back to your old self.

If a pitcher like Reyes, who relies on velocity and doesn't have phenomenal command to begin with, experiences shoulder issues, he might return diminished when all's said and done. That damage might be permanent.

Still ... the Dodgers bullpen is packed with unknowns. Is Yency Almonte now a staple? Is Daniel Hudson going to recover nicely from a torn ACL? Will Shelby Miller be ... anything? Adding Reyes wouldn't be a departure from their current strategy. It'd be par for the course, and his price appears to be dropping with every passing day.

Still just 28, too.

Zack Britton, LHP

If former Yankees lefty stalwart Zack Britton's asking price never comes down (he's rumored to be seeking $9 million), then the Dodgers' money would be better spent elsewhere, especially if their starting point is already over the luxury tax threshold.

But if Britton decides to reevaluate things entering spring training and the regular season, the Dodgers would be as typical a landing spot as any for the two-time All-Star (only two times? really?).

Like every name on this list, though ... boom or bust. At the age of 35, Britton is likely the riskiest proposition we're entertaining here.

Last year, Britton tried to end his career in the Bronx by racing back from bone chips in the elbow, trying an experimental variation on Tommy John surgery involving some sort of bone tape (?) to get back by the stretch run. When he showed up in September, he was greatly diminished. His trademark control was gone. He walked six men in three games, only recording two outs in the process. His season ended when the elbow barked once more, putting a negative cherry on top of a horrific stretch.

After a full offseason of rest and rehabilitation, Britton is once again ready to tackle a seventh-inning role on a contender. The backslide for the lefty actually began in 2021, though, when his troublesome elbow kicked in, leading to a 5.89 ERA and a demand of Aaron Boone to be used in fewer save situations.

Will Britton be able to harken back to his 2019-20 self (1.91, 1.89 ERAs)? Will he be willing to try to come back at a slight discount? The Dodgers have long been the preferred landing spot for forgotten relievers, and those relievers don't typically have Britton's pedigree. Worth a shot, at two-thirds of his current monetary request.

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3 risky Dodgers moves that can change 2023 bullpen

Will Smith, LHP

Alex Reyes, RHP

Zack Britton, LHP

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