The Los Angeles Dodgers are a half game behind the Arizona Diamondbacks for first place in the National League West, and like many teams, they reportedly are looking for bullpen help before the Major League Baseball non-waiver trade deadline.
One team the Dodgers could contact about acquiring a reliever is the Miami Marlins, who sit in last place in the NL East. MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reported one possibility Tuesday:
dodgers showed preliminary interest in brad ziegler. many pen options out there. but ziegler has 0.86 era since June 1 and provides a different look. #fish
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 10, 2018
The Dodgers currently have the seventh-best bullpen ERA in the National League, so clearly there is room for improvement.
Ziegler is a 38-year-old veteran who has plenty of experience, as evidenced by his 700-plus games played over 10 seasons. He’s been involved in a lot of late-season playoff races, and the Dodgers likely will be in the NL West race until the end of the campaign.
With less than three weeks left until the July 31 trade deadline, relievers will be highly sought after given their importance to postseason success.
The Dodgers won’t be the only team looking for bullpen reinforcements, but based on their play so far, it’s certainly an area worth addressing via trade. Los Angeles hasn’t been afraid to give up prospects to acquire veterans in trades in recent years, and we could see more of the same in the coming weeks.