The Los Angeles Dodgers did indeed acquire a left-handed arm prior to Wednesday's trade deadline, just not the one that they might have hoped for otherwise. Andrew Friedman plucked reliever Adam Kolarek from his old club–the Tampa Bay Rays–according to ESPN MLB Insider Jeff Passan:

Kolarek has made 54 appearances for the Rays this season, posting a 3.95 ERA in 43 1/3 innings of work.

Outside of Julio Urias–who has also been used as a spot-starter–the Dodgers lacked a single left-handed reliever, making Kolarek's arrival a welcome sight in the form of added depth from that side of the rubber.

However, many reporters and analysts believed that it would be another left-handed reliever–Pittsburgh Pirates closer Felipe Vazquez–that would be wearing a Dodger uniform before Wednesday was through.

Vazquez, one of the best closers in baseball, would have been the impact arm that the Dodgers desperately needed to patch up that final glaring hole in the bullpen.

With Pedro Baez off to a slow start in the second half and Kenley Jansen becoming very susceptible to second-half letdowns, Vazquez would have been an incredible safety valve in the later innings.

Unfortunately for the Dodgers, Pittsburgh would not flinch. The two sides could not come to terms on a deal, in part because the Pirates wanted Los Angeles to part with top prospect Gavin Lux in addition to catcher Keibert Ruiz.

While they can hardly expect Kolarek to perform to the level of Vazquez moving forward, they at least did manage to address a need at the deadline. And Kolarek has been better over the past month:

Whether or not a mere depth addition is enough to keep pace with the likes of the Atlanta Braves remains to be seen.