One of the most coveted relief pitchers supposedly on the trade market will in fact not be changing teams. According to ESPN MLB Insider Jeff Passan, Pittsburgh Pirates left-handed reliever Felipe Vazquez has not been traded prior to the 4 p.m. EST deadline:
Felipe Vazquez will not be traded, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 31, 2019
Trade talks between the Pirates and Los Angeles Dodgers took center stage nearly all afternoon long. The Dodgers have been coveting an impact arm to add to their bullpen, especially with closer Kenley Jansen getting off to a poor start in the second half and facing more durability questions.
However, the Dodgers were reluctant to part with prospect Gavin Lux in addition to any package that may have included catching prospect Keibert Ruiz:
I'm told #Dodgers prospect Gavin Lux is virtually untouchable, even in the Felipe Vázquez talks. @MLB @MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 31, 2019
Vazquez has been one of the best closers in baseball over the last few years. This season, Vazquez has converted 21 of 22 save opportunities while posting a 1.87 ERA and 14.1 K/9 in 43 1/3 innings of work. Meanwhile, the Dodgers have blown 19 saves and rank just 19th in save percentage.
While the Atlanta Braves added three significant arms to bolster their bullpen, the Dodgers did just about nothing to remedy some of their relief issues.
Vazquez was always going to come at a premium cost. Aside from being a top closer, Vazquez is under team control through 2021, and also has two club options in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
In spite of the fact that the Dodgers should be the favorites to win the National League pennant, they had a major opportunity to address their most glaring need. However, Vazquez will remain in Pittsburgh.
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