Dodgers should target this Blue Jays pitcher amid Bo Bichette trade buzz

In their pursuit of another World Series title, the Dodgers are gearing up to potentially dictate the trade deadline, even after loading up all offseason. By now, it's familiar territory in Hollywood. They've already been connected to some of the biggest players expected to be available (par for the course, really), and potential deals with the White Sox, Rays, Tigers, and Blue Jays could all be on the table.

The Jays have slipped to last place in the AL East, and questions about whether or not they'll be sellers seem to be resolving themselves. They might not let go of Bo Bichette, who's been named as a possible replacement shortstop for LA, but they're almost guaranteed to loosen their grip on other, perhaps smaller names as they try to chase the Rays for fourth place. Rental players? They've got to go, at the very least.

If the Dodgers really are considering Bichette, they might also (or instead) want to turn their attentions toward a pitcher while chatting with the Jays' front office. Trevor Richards, a righty in the Blue Jays' bullpen, might be a lot easier to tempt away from them, and his 2.63 ERA this season could work wonders for LA's ever more short-staffed relief core.

Blue Jays' Trevor Richards could be a perfect addition to Dodgers bullpen at the trade deadline

Richards is having the best year of his career for Toronto. He's pitched 41 innings as a middle reliever and occasional setup man for a 2.63 mark. He hasn't given up a run since June 9 and has only given up three hits and two walks in his last seven appearances. He leads the Blue Jays bullpen in innings pitched and has performed the opener role for them twice this season.

He's a two-pitch guy, using just a fastball and changeup, but Baseball Savant puts them in the 84th and 83rd percentile of fastball and off-speed pitches, respectively. The changeup, which he relies on most heavily, has a ridiculous .099 batting average against this season and a 32.3% whiff rate against. The fastball is nothing to sniff at either, with a .158 batting average against and just a .246 slugging.

The Dodgers bullpen currently has five men on the IL and eight active relievers. The usual suspects, Evan Phillips and Alex Vesia, have been fantastic this season, but others like Yohan Ramírez, who carries a 4.54 ERA, don't feel long for the majors.

Richards is the Jays' best reliever behind Yimi Garcia, so the Dodgers could lose a promising prospect or two if they're looking to take him of off Toronto's hands. With the rate at which LA's relievers seem to drop, he could be very much worth checking in on.