The Dodgers find themselves at a critical juncture as the trade deadline looms. While the spotlight has often been on their star-studded lineup and high-profile acquisitions, the reality is starkly different when it comes to their pitching staff, particularly the bullpen. And as we know, the starting rotation, once considered a pillar of strength, is now gasping for air, especially after injuries to key arms like Roki Sasaki and Blake Snell. Tyler Glasnow is also just back from the IL.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers’ bullpen, designed to be a fortress in high-leverage situations, has cracked under pressure. Veteran reliever Kirby Yates, expected to be a late-inning anchor, has underwhelmed (4.45 ERA). And Tanner Scott, another major investment last offseason, has been sidelined with injury. Hence, with internal solutions falling short and high-leverage moments turning into missed opportunities, the obvious answer would seem to be external help via trade.

However, in a surprising twist, a recent insider report suggests the Dodgers may be charting a different course, potentially opting not to pursue bullpen reinforcements on an urgent basis. Now, this unexpected stance raises questions about what’s cooking inside the Dodgers’ front office!

“Dodgers are hesitant to splurge on top-end relievers, i.e., Clase or Duran, especially with their track record of acquiring low-risk relievers and maximizing their performance. Re: Dustin May — he could shift to the bullpen, but is also considered a trade chip for an outfielder,” Dodgers Tailgate quoted MLB insider Ken Rosenthal.

Well, there are a few examples where the Dodgers successfully made the best out of the underrated relievers in the past. For example, Evan Phillips had a 7.36 ERA in 44 games from 2018-2020 for the Orioles. But after joining the Dodgers in 2021, he had a 1.79 ERA in the next 110 games. Another one is Alex Vesia. After an injury-laden season with the Marlins in 2020, the Dodgers landed him in 2021. And guess what? He returned with a 2.15 ERA in 2022.

On the other hand, it’s the high-end relievers like Yates and Scott that the Dodgers failed to get the best out of. Hence, it makes sense for the team not to focus on high-leverage names like Emmanuel Clase and Jarren Duran. Rather, the Dodgers can have low-cost options from both internally and externally for the bullpen. But here’s a catch.

Dustin May, the ever-reliable arm for the Dodgers, is currently on a supporting duty behind Shohei Ohtani. In the last pitching of Ohtani, we saw how May took over the mound after Ohtani’s 3-inning throwdown. And now, if the rumors are true, the Dodgers are willing to designate him to the bullpen.

Well, May’s had an up-and-down year. But his raw talent still makes it hard to take him out of the rotation right now. May gave up seven runs over 4.2 innings against the Giants on Friday, pushing his first-half ERA to 4.96. Thus, there’s still a chance he could be traded to help fill other roster needs like an outfielder, though the fact that he’s set to hit free agency might affect his trade value.

So, if he still stays put, the Dodgers might look at shifting him into a bullpen role for the rest of the season. Anything goes hereon, Dustin May as a starter looks bleak with the Dodgers.

The suitors still have eyes on the Dodgers

While the Dodgers might be backtracking from their trade strategy and might not go for any big-ticket purchases, it doesn’t mean the suitors are not behind any Dodgers players.

The first name is Dalton Rushing. According to MLB insider Sean McAdam, the Red Sox are showing interest in Rushing. For the unversed, Rushing had a strong showing in Triple-A. But he has had a tough time adjusting to the big leagues so far, hitting just .216 with a .280 OBP and .297 slugging in 27 games. While he’s still considered a high-upside player, with Will Smith locked in behind the plate for the Dodgers, Rushing doesn’t have a clear path to playing time in L.A.

And on the flip side, the Dodgers have been scouting two of Boston’s top prospects, Franklin Arias and Brandon Clarke. This has only fueled speculation about a possible trade between the two teams. So, even if any trade doesn’t involve May, the Dodgers might surprise with a few new names.

However, amid all the chaos regarding the Dodgers’ bullpen, a glaring gap is majorly getting omitted, and that’s the Dodgers’ outfielding.

With Michael Conforto struggling at the plate (.186 BA) and Mookie Betts also not looking confident at the plate, the Dodgers might make a move to land an outfielder. Here comes Cedric Mullins of the Orioles.

Well, even though Mullins is not putting up All-Star numbers like he did back in 2021, he could still be an upgrade over Conforto in the outfield. This season, he’s slashing .214/.294/.398 with 13 home runs. Yes, not so great, but still some pop. However, the tricky part is that a straight-up swap for someone like Dustin May probably wouldn’t cut it. Since both are pending free agents, the Orioles likely wouldn’t be interested in just trading one rental for another. So, the Dodgers would probably have to include more in the deal to make it work.

Hence, it is not concrete that May is going to the Dodgers’ bullpen. However, when the name is Dodgers, we might expect a few unexpected updates before the deadline.