8 trade candidates to upgrade Dodgers' bullpen

Daniel Bard

Relievers in their late 30s that play for the Rockies probably shouldn't be good, but Daniel Bard is putting together another excellent season nonetheless. He doesn’t give up hard contact, he misses his fair share of bats, and his slider remains an absolute weapon. He isn’t the sexiest of the relief options potentially available, but he generally gets the job done.

That said, there are some potential problems here. One, the Dodgers are an analytics-driven team and not all of the news is good there. In addition to the usual “Father Time is undefeated” concerns, they may not want to commit to a guy that is making almost $10 million a year with his kind of walk rates, chase rates, and some expected batted ball metrics. Plus, Colorado may not be enthusiastic about trading Bard to a division rival despite the fact that the Rockies aren’t going to be competing anytime soon.

Keynan Middleton

The White Sox are a weird case because this is a team that should be in a much better position than they are in a division that is truly bad. There’s a chance that Chicago won’t be in full sell mode at the deadline if they can string some wins together, but Keynan Middleton should still be on the table as a guy who will be a free agent after the season and who is putting up some gaudy peripheral numbers.

As a rental who's also not a household name, Middleton may be an ideal option for the Dodgers if the White Sox decide to move him. He is dirt cheap (making just $750,000 this season) and has been very productive. His previous three seasons were decidedly less promising and he will be in high demand, but this is a guy that could be a perfect fit if he's priced as a rental reliever should be.