MLB Trade Rumors: 5 players the Dodgers should target
1. Will Smith
The trade market is thin on elite relief talent at the 2019 deadline, and San Francisco Giants closer Will Smith stands out as the No. 1 overall reliever who is definitely on the market. The 30-year-old will be a free agent at the end of the year, and figures to have plenty of suitors once the Giants decide to get busy shopping him. A recent hot stretch has put San Francisco’s plans to sell at the deadline up in the air for now, but bringing in prospects is still the right move despite their climb up the standings.
The Dodgers boast the best rotation in the league, but their bullpen still leaves something to be desired. A 4.09 ERA from the relievers isn’t going to get the job done in the playoffs, especially with the modern postseason shifting to a strategy heavy on bullpen usage. It’s All-Star closer Kenley Jansen’s struggles that should worry the Dodgers the most.
Since signing his $80 million contract, Jansen has not been in top form. He has a 3.26 ERA over his last 107 games and is striking out 10.8 per-nine. The 31-year-old right-hander had a 2.08 ERA for the first eight years of his career and struck out 14.0 per-nine over that time span. Jansen has also had some high-profile meltdowns in the last two World Series.
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Despite his struggles, the Dodgers aren’t going to ditch Jansen for Smith if they trade for him, but the pair would make a nasty one-two punch in the eighth and ninth innings. Outside of Brandon Morrow’s brief run, the Dodgers have never been able to find a partner for Jansen to form a dominant setup man/closer pairing. If they’re willing to pay the high price, Smith could finally be that answer.