The Los Angeles Dodgers will assuredly be on the prowl for bullpen help at this year’s trade deadline.
Though they entered the season with arguably the deepest and best bullpen in the majors, the Dodgers have been riddled by injuries. They’ve also been surprisingly pedestrian at closing out games, with the 24th-best bullpen ERA in the game at 4.46.
The sellers are still sorting themselves up, but the Dodgers might jump at the opportunity to pilfer a reliever from a team that’s been one of their chief playoff rivals in years past: the Atlanta Braves.
Braves closer Raisel Iglesias has been pretty subpar this year too, fitting in with the Dodgers’ theme. But in the final season of a four-year, $58 million contract, the 35-year-old would surely love to be dealt to a team headed for the postseason.
In a Monday article, Zach Pressnell of FanSided suggested that Iglesias could be a good fit for the Dodgers in a possible deadline blockbuster.
“Iglesias (is on) an expiring contract, which makes him even clearer of a trade chip for the Braves to use. The only issue is the righty is in the midst of a down year,” Pressnell wrote.
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“But that wouldn’t stop the Los Angeles Dodgers from swinging a huge trade to bring him to the team. Los Angeles is known for bringing in aging relievers and loading the bullpen with talent. The Dodgers have already brought in a few talented pitchers this year. Iglesias could be the next on the list.”
Iglesias owns a 4.81 ERA and 4.27 FIP in 36 appearances this year. His strikeouts are still reasonably high (39 in 33 2/3 innings), and he may be currently hitting his stride after some uncharacteristic home run problems early in the year.
It would be a quintessential Dodgers move to bring in Iglesias, see him immediately become a shutdown late-inning option again, and reap the benefits on a deep playoff run.
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