July 2nd, 2019 at 9:00 am 
by 0799291000348 Seldom is there unanimity amongst baseball experts and fans on Major League Baseball topics, but the state of the Dodgers bullpen is one of the exceptions. Other than Kenley Jansen and Pedro Baez, Dodgers relievers in 2019 have neutral or negative Wins Above Replacement (WAR). Theoretically, the team could replace all of those other relievers with “…a freely available minor leaguer or a AAAA player…” (Fangraphs definition), and have similar – or better – results. (Ouch!)
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)
The 2019 trade deadline (July 31) is fast approaching, and there are some interesting relievers rumored to be available. We will take a look at those options as the trading deadline gets closer, but what about internal options? Which pitchers currently in the Dodgers minor league system may be options to improve the bullpen now, or in the second half of the season?
It is the Dodgers current modus operandi to sign a handful of journeyman pitchers before each season for its Triple-A team in Oklahoma City – veteran depth pieces needed to fill the roster, but also providing those pitchers with another opportunity to make it back to The Show. This year the names included: Logan Bawcom, Joe Broussard, Justin Grimm, Zach McAllister, Kevin Quackenbush, and the recently re-signed Zac Rosscup. Other than Quackenbush, this group of veterans has been underwhelming.
The 30-year-old, right-handed reliever Quackenbush has pitched well this season for OKC (3.22 ERA), and of late has been terrific. In his last ten appearances he has pitched to a 0.84 ERA, with 17 strikeouts. It seems likely that Quackenbush will get an opportunity to pitch for the Dodgers – or another team – sooner rather than later.
There are a handful of young reliever prospects pitching for the Dodgers Double-A team in Tulsa: Marshall Kasowski, Nolan Long, Andre Scrubb, and Jordan Sheffield. All are very talented, but Sheffield has set himself apart with a 0.66 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 13.2-innings-pitched, while holding opposing hitters to a .091 batting average.
Another viable option is to utilize one of the team’s highly regarded starting pitching prospects in the bullpen: Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May, Dennis Santana, or Mitchell White. Gonsolin was called up by the Dodgers to start the June 26 game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, but he also has minor league experience pitching out of the bullpen. Although Santana has struggled this season as a starter, he has the talent to be a successful reliever. And from the time Mitchell White was selected by the Dodgers in the second round of the 2016 MLB First-Year Player Draft, he was considered a candidate for the bullpen, where his fastball and slider would be effective in late innings.
And the precocious Dustin May, who recently struck out 14 batters in a game for the Double-A Tulsa Drillers that prompted his recent promotion to Triple-A Oklahoma City, could add his talents to the bullpen this season, as he prepares for a spot in the Dodgers 2020 rotation.
(Photo credit – Steve Saenz)
The answer is out there, Dodgers … and it is much closer (and cheaper) than you think.
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(Editor’s Note: ThinkBlueLA recently learned that Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman traveled to Nashville, TN to personally witness Dustin May’s Triple-A debut, which went exceptionally well. The question is: Was Friedman there to assess whether or not to call the 21-year-old Justin, TX native and Dodgers 2016 third-round draft pick up to the Dodgers this season, or to assess whether or not to include his fourth overall-ranked prospect in a potential trade package to acquire [wait for it…] bullpen help?)
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Well, if I’m Friedman I’m NOT coughing up Dustin May in any deal at this point. Dodgers are gonna have to face the potential likelihood of having two key starters walk at the end of this season in Rich Hill and Hyun-Jin Ryu. Hill I’m ready to cut loose to gain another comp pick for next year’s UBER-loaded draft and let ace-in-waiting Julio Urias take over finally, while Ryu could face the same fate should his agent want more than a 4-year extension. If Ryu does happen to leave as well, better have May ready to step in there because he’s pretty much right on schedule to do so at his current pace.
Now out of the in-house group of pitchers that could serve as “low-cost” alternatives to going out and getting a Felipe Vasquez (STILL my No. 1 choice, mainly as insurance in case Kenley Jansen is seen as not worth another max-level extension this upcoming winter) or even a Will Smith in their own division, the ones I see that could certainly help down the stretch this season are Tony Gonsolin (might be too high-strung to start long-term, anyway) and maybe Jordan Sheffield the moment he finally gets sent packing for AAA OKC very soon. The others on that list I see as possible trade bait right now, especially the high-ranked ones at OKC that continue to struggle in a starter role like Mitchell White and Dennis Santana for instance.
Oh, and I consider Caleb Ferguson trade bait too UNLESS the Dodgers still feel he’s a starter at the end of the day and begin stretching him out again sooner rather than later. I’d rather flip him for bullpen help as opposed to an “untouchable” like May or even Josiah Gray for that matter…
All excellent points. First, free agents. After this season the Dodgers CBT tax salaries will be lowered by roughly than $78MM (Hill, Ryu, Freese, Martin, Homer Bailey, Matt Kemp, Josh Fields, Cingrani, Yimi Garcia, et al), and it will not surprise me to see Dodgers trade a couple of veterans. Now some may be re-signed (Ryu and Freese at the top of the list), and others will be in-line for substantial pay increases. But the Dodgers will have the financial flexibility to keep Ryu, and / or pursue a free agent like Gerrit Cole, Jake Odorizzi, or trade for Corey Kubler. I don’t believe Dodgers will offer Rich Hill a QO, so no compensatory pick. Dustin May? I think he is close to being untouchable, BUT if Pirates will trade Vazquez (4 years of control) for a small package of prospects that includes May, the Dodgers might pull the trigger.
I don’t see the Dodgers bringing Freese back with Justin Turner already transitioning into a similar bench role this season so better off letting him walk. I do like Odorizzi as a possible offseason FA pickup so if they can get him for a reasonable contract (more about the length than the financial amount) even better. Back to May, still can’t see Friedman bundling him up in a trade package when there’s gonna be quite a bit of turnover in that Dodger rotation after this season. I truly agree with the person below me: legit top-shelf SP prospects like May DO NOT grow on trees and to flip him for a reliever (even one of Vasquez’s caliber) is just not a wise move from my point of view. I think they can actually get that crucial bullpen piece at the trade deadline AND keep May, Lux, Smith, and hopefully Gray out of it. We shall see soon enough…
I doubt May will be dealt, but if he is it will for someone like Vazquez who is young, controllable (4 years), and team friendly contract ($5.5MM CBT payroll per season). I believe Dodgers will re-sign Ryu (unless he blows out his arm or shoulder before end of the season); he likes the team, and was very appreciative of how Dodgers handled his surgery and rehab. Kershaw, Buehler, Urias, Ryu, Maeda, Stripling, Gonsolin, Santana, and White, with Gray and Uceta ready to contribute mid-2020; Jackson 2021.
You still think May is worth flipping for Vasquez? Sorry, but I just don’t see it. Yeah, Vasquez would come cost-controlled BUT at the end of the day he’s still a reliever and relievers traditionally have very short life spans in the bigs. On top of that, Dodgers don’t have any other SP prospects on the level of May in their system that’s even close to being MLB-ready right now. Josiah Gray (already looking like the 2nd-best SP prospect in their system of late) is still a year away at the earliest and others like Gonsolin, White, and Santana could turn out to be more effective in a relief role at the big-league level long-term by comparison. Wouldn’t surprise me if Friedman holds May out of a deal like that for this very reason alone, especially with the starting rotation not being fully set outside of Kershaw, Buehler, and possibly Urias beyond this season
They’d only get another draft pick for Hill if they issue him a qualifying offer, he declined, and signs elsewhere. At almost 40, I doubt he turns down almost $20 million for a single season. No compensation for Ryu since he was issued and accepted the QO for this season. Of the two, I’d think they could re-sign Ryu because of the Korean community in LA and familiarity. If Hill was amenable to pitching out the pen, he would be a good guy to have around this year.
For this year, I seriously doubt they trade May. Top half rotation starters don’t grow on trees and Friedman scouted his AAA debut personally last week. I’d love to see him in LA pitching out of the pen! Gonsolin has the stuff to be a knock out reliever too. They’ve called on internal depth this year and so far it has worked well with position players. Friedman will probably make a move for outside reinforcements, but not by trading any top 5 minor Leaguers unless it’s a controllable player instead of a rental. Gotta show team/fans the FO/Ownership is committed with reinforcements
Yeah, I just remembered the last time the Dodgers tried to get a draft pick via banking on the walk-year player declining the QO to test free agency and wound up with egg all over their faces (Brett Anderson, lol). Hill really does strike me as the type that would indeed take the QO at his current age, especially knowing that the Dodgers are gonna be WS contenders for at least another couple years (IF they don’t ship Will Smith out first, that is). Matter of fact, not even sure if they can get Freese to delcine one for the very same reasons. Meh, what can ya do eh???
;-p
I don’t believe Dodgers will offer Hill a QO (likely $18+MM) knowing that he will accept. Good thought about the bull pen, but for much less money.
I don’t think Ken Giles of the Blue Jays would cost too much.
They want starting pitching and outfield prospects from what I have read.
Santana, White, Rios.
If not Rios then Peters. Although I’d like the Dodgers to keep Peters.
I would certainly part with Rios,(another in a long line of LHB). those pitchers ya mentioned are Ok to toss in the deal, and maybe DJ Peters, as he is reminding me of the mid 90’s Billy Ashley as far as boom and big K’s. At Tulsa (AA) Peters has struck out 93 times in only 249 AB’s
Yeah, but dating back to last month Peters appears to have finally turned a corner offensively and so far at AAA OKC since being promoted there has continued to cut his K-rate down and steadily increase his contact rate. That said, him and Rios have been virtually similar players with the bat this season with Rios projecting to be the “safer” bet long-term in that category so I don’t mind either one of them getting flipped at the trade deadline at this point. There’s only so many mouths to feed on this current big-league roster anyway, lol!
Apparently you have been peaking at my notes for another article. I agree with you, Giles is a likely target although being on the IL recently with sore elbow is concerning. The price, in prospects, may be driven up by other contenders bidding for him as well. If Giles is healthy, I think it will take more than Santana, White, and Rios. Perhaps a package like Dennis Santana, and Omar Estevez, and Matt Beaty (or similar talent)
Jesse Pearce
I’d do that trade that you proposed for Giles.
Just do not trade any of the top 5 Dodger prospects. Ruiz, Lux, May, Gonsolin, Smith.
Didn’t mention recently promoted Shea Spitzbarth.
Good catch! He should have been included. My bad!
No nonsense this time. Big-time guy or bust. Don’t want Giles, really don’t want Greene either Freidman go for it all this time get Vasquez or Hand. Make the deal, win a championship compete for 5 more with this group of talent and be way under the luxury tax in 2020. Been waiting since 1988, the time has come today.