Fact: The Dodgers are in desperate need of bullpen help as the July 31 trade deadline is rapidly approaching.

Fact: Acquiring said bullpen help will undoubtedly cost the Dodgers several of their top prospects; but then, this is how that trade thing works.

The good news is that the Dodgers have quite a few top prospects at just about every position to work with.

The bad news is that the mere thought of losing some (or any) of them is absolutely terrifying for those of us who are familiar with them; but again, this is how that trade thing works.

It’s difficult – if not impossible – to argue that many (most) Dodger fans were at their wit’s end with troubled right-hander Pedro Baez. In fact, with each successive horrible outing, it’s a wonder that he wasn’t receiving death threats. (Yes, I’m kidding).

But the brutally honest truth is that placing the 26-year-old Bani, Dominican Republic native and five-year MLB veteran reliever on the 10-day disabled list for “right biceps tendinitis” on June 15 (retroactive to June 12) – phantom or otherwise – was an absolute blessing for Dodger fans losing sleep (and years off their lives) every time the hard-throwing but painfully inaccurate right-hander entered a game … regardless of the score.

Well guess what? The Dodgers appear to have another Pedro Baez in their bullpen – 27-year-old fellow Dominican Republic native Yimi Garcia.

A bit harsh, you say? Unfortunately, maybe not.

In the 19 relief appearances Garcia has made thus far this season, he is 1-2 with a 5.00 ERA … and that’s the good news. The bad news is that he has one blown save (in one save opportunity), has allowed 10 earned runs on 24 hits (including five home runs) for an unattractive .312 batting average against, while walking three and striking out 14 in his combined 18.0 innings pitched.

Hanging a curveball right over the middle of the plate rarely ends well, as Garcia learned (once again) on Friday night in the Dodgers 3-1 loss to the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium.
(Video capture courtesy of SportsNet LA)

As a basis of comparison, Baez owned a 3-3 record and (believe it or not) a decent 3.23 ERA when he landed on the DL. He did, however, have a .259 BAA and walked 16 (including four with the bases loaded) when he was placed on the DL. He also balked in the winning run when he fell off the mound (no, really) during a game against the hated Giants on April 27. To his credit (for those willing to give him any), Baez struck out 36 of the 137 batters he faced in the 30.2 innings he has pitched thus far this season … so there’s that.

Baez balked in the winning run when he literally fell off the mound in a game on April 27 against the Giants at AT&T Park. (Video capture courtesy of SportsNet LA)

To be fair, Garcia is not the only Dodgers reliever struggling right now. Left-hander Scott Alexander, who is currently 1-0 with a 4.04 ERA on the season thus far, has walked a team-high (among all Dodgers relievers) 17 batters – one more than Baez – and owns a .254 BAA. He has also allowed two home runs and has hit a batter in his 35.2 innings of work thus far this season. And while there is no disputing that when his sinking fastball is ‘on’ it generates quite a few ground ball outs, it seems to be ‘off’ more than it is ‘on’.

Getting back to Garcia, he could very well be at a crossroads in his professional career. With a career 4-7 record and 3.48 ERA over his four major league seasons – all with the Dodgers – and at almost 28 years old (on August 18), there’s probably not much more the extremely quiet and very likeable right-hander with a near 100-MPH fastball can gain from being sent back down to Triple-A Oklahoma City; which leaves but one real option: designate him for assignment.

Then again, the Dodgers could also include Garcia in a potential trade package, although his trade value might not be attractive enough to create much interest right now. They could also place him on the growing disabled list, but that would be, at best, only a temporary fix.

But regardless, you kind of get the feeling that something is about to happen with Yimi Garcia in the coming days or weeks. Exactly what that something may be is anyone’s guess.

Stay tuned…