Proposed Dodgers trade sees Los Angeles deal top prospect to land $5.9 million star reliever, create duo with Edwin Diaz to shut down games originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Los Angeles Dodgers made a lot of upgrades this offseason to fix their small cracks in their roster, and so far, it’s been great. They’re 11-4 and arguably the best team in baseball.
However, their bullpen could use a little more help. FanSided’s Zachary Rotman proposes that the Dodgers fix this by making a deal with the Houston Astros for their star set-up man, Bryan Abreu.
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Astros get: LAD No. 10 prospect OF/1B James Tibbs III
“If it weren't for heroics from Yoshinobu Yamamoto and their starting rotation, the Dodgers probably wouldn't have won the World Series. Now, their rotation is capable of going on another insane run, and the bullpen, with Edwin Diaz in the mix, is obviously better than it was last postseason, but depth is critical. Bryan Abreu's season has not gotten off to a great start, but he's been as consistent as anyone in the American League in recent years…The Astros plan on contending, so trading Abreu would be tough, especially in a deal with the Dodgers, but the right-hander is a free agent after the year, and again, Tibbs fills a major need,” Rotman wrote.
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So far this season, Abreu has posted a 0-2 record, a 20.25 ERA, nine Ks, a WHIP of 4.000, and one save (yikes). However, this could be just a slow start, as he has a career 2.86 ERA and WHIP of 1.208.
He’d be incredibly cheap for Los Angeles as well. He’s set to make $5.9 million this season, and while he is a free agent next year, the Dodgers could easily re-sign him, and if they don’t, who cares? They only lost one prospect.
The Dodgers’ bullpen was shaky last season, and they got Edwin Diaz to correct that. Getting Abreu would be the cherry on top.
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