The Los Angeles Dodgers have been an absolute juggernaut in the National league West, heading into Friday with an MLB-best 64-35 record and +151 run differential.
Powered by an MVP season from Cody Bellinger and an incredibly deep lineup alongside the pitching performances of guys like Hyun-Jin Ryu, Walker Buehler and Clayton Kershaw, the Dodgers have stampeded through the league, and are the favorites to reach their third consecutive World Series.
However, no team is without flaws, and the Dodgers are looking to make some additions at the trade deadline. Reliever Joe Kelly had an excellent month of June after an atrocious start to the season, but the bullpen has merely been middling.
The Dodgers rank 15th in the MLB in terms of bullpen fWAR and 21st in bullpen ERA, and they rank just 19th in save percentage with 17 blown saves. Los Angeles had shown some interest in Pittsburgh Pirates closer Felipe Vazquez, but the market for Vazquez is unclear based on his team-friendly contract and Pittsburgh's hesitance to give him up.
Simultaneously, the Cleveland Indians have shot back into the AL Central race, which makes it more unlikely that closer Brad Hand will be dealt. The Dodgers would like to make a play for other guys such as Detroit's Shane Greene or San Diego's Kirby Yates, but it would likely take an arm and a leg to acquire either reliever.
Los Angeles is also dealing with the loss of super-utility man Chris Taylor due to injury, and catcher Matt Barnes simply has not lived up to expectations.
There is no question that the Dodgers are one of the best teams in baseball, but they can make a few moves that may ultimately put them in the best position come October.
Here are three changes that the Los Angeles Dodgers need to make heading into the “dog days” of summer:
3. Promote Will Smith as starting catcher
Smith made a brief appearance in the majors in May and June, hitting three homers in nine games and showing some of the explosive offensive talent that the Dodgers have desperately lacked at the catcher position. He has continued to rake at the Triple-A level, clubbing 18 homers and posting a .987 OPS in 57 games.
Meanwhile, Barnes has been a major disappointment. Though he has shown plenty of promise defensively and is rated as the best pitch framer in the game by Baseball Prospectus, he leaves much to be desired at the dish.
Entering play on Thursday, Barnes was hitting a woeful .205 with a .637 OPS. He has been that much worse since he returned from a groin injury on June 7, hitting just .164 with a .465 OPS.
Backup catcher Russell Martin has not been much better for the Dodgers, slashing .225/.358/.295 in 159 plate appearances in his return to Los Angeles.
Sure, the Dodgers would love to exploit Barnes' pitch framing given that it is an inherent benefit to the pitching staff. At the same time, they are missing out on some much-needed production at the bottom of the order every time Dave Roberts writes his name in the lineup card. Los Angeles also leads the majors in Defensive Runs Saved, so they are not exactly lacking in the fielding department.
Smith is far too dynamic with the bat to be wasting away in Triple-A. The Dodgers need to promote him once again, and install him as the starting catcher until Barnes gets his feet under him at the plate.
2. Platoon A.J. Pollock and Joc Pederson… but leave Alex Verdugo alone
No doubt Roberts has already considered this, given that he frequently shifts guys like Taylor, Kike Hernandez and Pederson all over the diamond. Still, it is absolutely imperative that he finds ways to get Pollock involved again now that he is back from injury without taking playing time away from rookie sensation Alex Verdugo.
Returning from injury after the All-Star break, Pollock has gotten off to a red-hot start in the second half. In his first five games, he was slashing .381/.417/.810 with three homers and a stolen base to boot. This is the guy that Los Angeles signed to be their marquee splash in terms of position players, and Pollock has the ability to really put this offense over the top.
Still, Roberts must be wary of Pollock's injury history. Pollock has played in just 34 games (including a pinch-hit appearance on Friday) this season after missing 249 games over the course of the last few years. He is a superlative talent, but he is fragile.
Similarly, Pollock has crushed left-handers this year while struggling against righties. That makes him the perfect candidate to platoon with Pederson, who is has just 29 plate appearances against left-handers this year while slashing .172/.172/.207 against them this season.
Roberts would do well to exploit that advantage, but also to leave Verdugo alone in all the shifting. Verdugo has proved why the Dodgers were so high on him since he was installed as an everyday player, and he has actually posted a reverse platoon split thus far.
Whereas the catching problem may be sacrificing defense for offense, the platoon situation in the outfield is a good problem for Roberts to have, especially considering how adept Pollock is with the glove.
1. Go for broke to acquire an elite reliever
Depth is not only a major benefactor in the postseason itself, but it can also help any team acquire an elite-level talent that can put them over the top.
The Dodgers have a crazy amount of depth, and they will not be sacrificing too much should they elect to trade one of their younger talents in order to acquire a marquee reliever.
Matt Beaty has been excellent in a utility role, but he is also blocked by a number of talented players above him, especially with Pollock returning to the lineup. Similarly, if the Dodgers are not committed to seeing what Smith can do in a starting role at catcher, than they could potentially look to use him as a trade chip.
Regardless, Los Angeles should go for broke in acquiring someone like Yates, Shane Greene or (the other) Will Smith from the San Francisco Giants. Even though the bullpen should get some help in the postseason once Kenta Maeda inevitably moves into a relief role, the Dodgers still need a more reliable impact arm.
There is reason to suggest that not all is well with Kenley Jansen, who has struggled with durability issues in the latter half of the season throughout his career and is coming off a spectacular blown saves against the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday.
Even aside from Jansen, the Dodgers have become notorious for their bullpen struggles in each of the last two postseasons, particularly in the World Series.
Adding a shutdown arm such as Yates, Greene or Smith would go a long way in alleviating some of the stress placed on guys like Kelly, Pedro Baez or Jansen, and might also give the Dodgers more flexibility in terms of deploying specialists or arms such as Maeda, Ross Stripling and Julio Urias in long relief.
The Dodgers are unquestionably the best team in the National League, but acquiring another impact reliever could be the final piece in solving the championship puzzle.