In a bit of a surprising move at the July 31 trade deadline, the Los Angeles Dodgers only acquired one relief pitcher while adding high-impact position players Brian Dozier and Manny Machado to the fold.
And with respect to John Axford, the Dodgers’ trade for a reliever didn’t net them one of the several marquee names they were tied to leading up to the deadline. Deals for Dozier and Machado suggested the organization was confident in their internal pitching options, and that a deep lineup could offset any trouble.
The strategy hasn’t exactly paid off in spades, and Axford is currently on the 10-day disabled list because of a fractured fibula suffered in his third appearance with the team.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers claimed Washington Nationals reliever Ryan Madson on revocable waivers, giving the clubs until Friday afternoon to complete a trade. In general, the Dodgers have until 9 p.m. PT to acquire a player who would remain eligible for postseason play.
According to Jon Morosi of FOX Sports, their focus is on finding a relief pitcher:
#Dodgers remain focused on adding a reliever, source says, with less than 11 hours to the postseason roster deadline. As colleague @kengurnick reported, they put in a claim on Madson this week. @MLBNetwork @MLB https://t.co/jeBdDPHuXK
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) August 31, 2018
During an appearance “Access SportsNet: Dodgers,” general manager Farhan Zaidi said the club was evaluating potential trades for both a reliever and position player.
With respect to the Aug. 31 trade deadline, Farhan Zaidi said on @SportsNetLA, #Dodgers have "a few irons in the fire. We're still looking at the bullpen, looking at potentially picking up another bat. … We're open-minded about potentially getting some additions in."
— Matthew Moreno (@MMoreno1015) August 31, 2018
If the Dodgers don’t add a pitcher to the fold, they can take some solace in seeing the return of those currently on the disabled list. Among that group is Axford, J.T. Chargois, Tony Cingrani, Daniel Hudson and Ross Stripling.
Julio Urias, currently with Triple-A Oklahoma City, is also another option to receive a call up in September for a role out of the bullpen.
