4 Dodgers trade targets who can save L.A.'s bullpen after Edwin Diaz injury

It turns out bad things can, in fact, happen to the Los Angeles Dodgers. On Monday afternoon, The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya and others reported that star closer Edwin Diaz was diagnosed with loose bodies in his pitching elbow, an issue that will require surgery to address.

Alarm bells first went up after Diaz's most recent outing on Sunday in Colorado, where he allowed three runs without recording an out and his fastball velocity remained worryingly down. The team was hoping that this was simply a sluggish start, a pitcher's arm taking a little longer to warm up than expected. But now Diaz is a question mark for the rest of this season: ESPN's Alden Gonzalez reports that the procedure will sideline the three-time All-Star for around three months, and there's no telling how he'll look when he does come back.

If you want to roll your eyes and assume that the Dodgers will be just fine, go right ahead. But it's worth noting that Los Angeles' sketchy bullpen situation came two outs away from derailing their title hopes last season, so much so that the team decided to hand Diaz a record three-year, $69 million contract over the winter. But now Diaz becomes the sixth Dodgers reliever to hit the IL, and Andrew Friedman finds himself scrambling once again.

Edwin Diaz injury shows that not even the Dodgers' payroll is foolproof

The Diaz deal was pretty much universally acknowledged as an overpay the moment it was signed; setting a new AAV record for a 32-year-old closer with a track record of fluctuating performance will never come out looking great in any value model. But it was an overpay the Dodgers — rather than, say, the Mets — were uniquely positioned to stomach: With an otherwise-complete roster and money certainly not an issue, L.A. could afford to pay whatever was required to land the best possible player at their sole remaining position of need.

But no matter how deep your pockets are, no matter how much it seems like you've bent the sport to your whim, the Baseball Gods have a way of humbling you. Because for as important as relievers are, they're also notoriously volatile from year to year, a small sample size position prone to batted-ball luck or sudden dips in performance or, of course, injury. The Dodgers tried to insulate themselves from that risk as much as possible, but there's only so much that money can buy — and now they're back in a familiar position, left to cobble together a bullpen on the fly that they hope won't doom their perfectly constructed Death Star come October.

Even without Diaz looking anything like his 2025 self — when he posted a 1.63 ERA and 13.3 K/9 for the New York Mets — the Dodgers bullpen has been ... fine to start this season. L.A. ranks 15th in reliever ERA, and their expected stats (fourth in expected ERA, 12th in xFIP) paint an even rosier picture.

But "fine" qualifies as a crisis for a Dodgers roster that's loaded just about everywhere else, and the depth chart as currently constructed doesn't inspire a ton of confidence when it comes time to play a short series against the best playoff competition. Alex Vesia remains Mr. Reliable, and Jack Dreyer's 2025 breakout has continued into 2026. Beyond that, though, there are nothing but questions: Do you trust Tanner Scott to rebound after last year's implosion? Will Blake Treinen ever find it again? How big a problem is it that this team's three most trustworthy relievers all throw left-handed?

Los Angeles could be fine as is, but it's also not hard to imagine this bullpen coughing up late leads in October. That means that the No. 1 focus between now and the trade deadline is simple: Find as many high-leverage arms as possible, no matter the cost.

Dodgers trade targets who could help rescue L.A.'s bullpen

Bryan Abreu, Houston Astros

This one requires a bit of a leap of faith, because right now the numbers are ugly: Abreu has posted a 14.73 ERA and 12.27 FIP through nine appearances, losing the closer's job in Houston as a result. But prior to that rough patch, he was one of the very best relievers in the sport for several years running, with a 2.30 ERA and 396 strikeouts in 281.2 innings from 2022-2025. Armed with a power fastball and a wipeout slider, he's been downright unhittable at times.

Can he find that form again? He's thrown a ton of innings over the last few seasons, and his velocity dip is concerning. If he can find a way to reset himself, though, there's no one with a higher ceiling, and the Astros should definitely be looking to shop the pending free agent if they're still mired in the AL West cellar come July.

Riley O'Brien, St. Louis Cardinals

Of all the fun stories from the Cardinals' surprisingly strong start, O'Brien just might be the best — and the most implausible. An eighth-round pick back in 2017, he bounced around multiple organizations before finding a home in the St. Louis bullpen last season. He's been even better so far in 2026, seizing the closer's role with 14 strikeouts and not a single walk across 12.1 scoreless innings.

St. Louis is right in the thick of the NL Central right now. And even if they fall out of the race over the summer, O'Brien is under team control through 2030; there's no guarantee that Chaim Bloom will be looking to deal away his best reliever. Then again, his value might never be higher, and the Dodgers have the prospect capital to make it worth the Cardinals' while.

Louie Varland, Toronto Blue Jays

The Dodgers roughed Varland up a bit in last year's World Series, but don't hold that against him. He's got one of the more electric arms in the sport, and he's off to another sensational start in Toronto, with 16 strikeouts to just three walks without allowing a single run over 10 appearances thus far.

Will the Blue Jays wind up sellers? There's still plenty of time to turn things around, but the sheer number of injuries they've already had to weather would suggest that another postseason push might not be in the cards. Which brings us to another question: Would Toronto be willing to sell to the Dodgers, the team that just broke their hearts last fall?

Pete Fairbanks, Miami Marlins

Fairbanks is off to an ugly start, with six runs allowed across his first seven innings of work in Miami. But his underlying numbers are much better (2.59 expected ERA, 2.99 FIP), and he's always been a pitcher who warms up a bit with the weather. He also comes with years of closing experience from his time in Tampa Bay, and his fastball/slider combination looks as lethal as ever. Even if the Marlins are hovering around Wild Card contention this summer, this forward-thinking front office could probably be convinced to flip a rental reliever for future value.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow