NFL
By: George Lopez
The Los Angeles Dodgers have, in recent history, made a big splash at the MLB’s trading deadline, making deals that have brought the likes of Yu Darvish, Max Scherzer, and Trea Turner, to name a few. At this year’s deadline, the Dodgers did not make a trade for a big-name player that fans have become accustomed to. Instead, Andrew Friedman, President of Baseball Operations, focused on deals that the team believes will help the Dodgers in the second half of the season as they look to defend their world championship.
In the first half of the season, the Dodgers’ bullpen has been used more than any other bullpen in baseball. The bullpen has an ERA over 4 and has begun to show some signs of fatigue. To help the bullpen, the Dodgers traded for Brock Stewart. With the Minnesota Twins, Stewart posted an ERA of 2.38 while averaging over 10 strikeouts per 9 innings in 34 innings of work. Stewart should give the Dodgers’ bullpen a much-needed boost.
Questions have been raised as to why the Dodgers did not make a deal for additional relief pitchers. Blake Treinen returned to the bullpen this week. Brusdar Graterol is currently going through a throwing progression at the Dodgers complex in Arizona, and the Dodgers are hopeful Graterol will rejoin the team at the end of August or in September. Michael Kopech, on the 60-day IL with a knee injury, began a throwing program last weekend, and the Dodgers are hopeful Kopech will return in September. Tanner Scott has also begun a throwing progression. Look for the Dodgers to be patient with Scott’s return as he will be looked at to be a key component out of the bullpen in the playoffs.
The Dodgers did not make a move to add starting pitching, though they did trade Dustin May to Boston. Speculation as to why May was traded was the Dodgers’ plan to use May out of the bullpen and May’s desire to remain a starting pitcher. Roki Sasaki is scheduled to face hitters this weekend and is moving forward to rejoining the rotation, possibly at the end of August. Blake Snell has been reinstated from the IL and is scheduled to pitch for the Dodgers this weekend. With Snell returning, Sasaki trending towards a return later this month, and Shohei Ohtani looking back on the mound, the Dodgers are looking at Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Clayton Kershaw, Shohei Ohtani, and Roki Sasaki. Emmet Sheehan will currently be used to back up Ohtani as Ohtani continues to build up his innings.
With Michael Conforto struggling, the Dodgers quietly made a move, acquiring Alex Call from the Washington Nationals. Call, under team control through 2029, does provide a defensive upgrade in the outfield. At the plate, Call is batting .274 with only 36 strikeouts in 237 plate appearances. The expectation is that Call will help lengthen the lineup, which has struggled recently. The Dodgers have not announced if Call will be in a platoon system with Conforto.
Though the Dodgers were relatively quiet at this year’s trade deadline, the Dodgers did make moves to help the team moving forward. The addition of Brock Stewart will help a highly used bullpen going forward. Alex Call will help the Dodgers not only at the plate but in the outfield as well. With key players expected to return at the end of this month and in September, the Dodgers believe they will have the roster necessary to defend their championship.
