Remember the last time the Dodgers made a big splash to fortify their bullpen? The front office swung for the fences, bringing in proven names like Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates, with the hope of creating a lockdown unit for October. But instead of dominance, they got disappointment. Injuries sidelined both arms, and the bullpen’s supposed strength quickly became a liability. Scott, once nearly untouchable with Miami and San Diego, has served up eight homers with a 4.09 ERA,  nowhere near last season’s amazing 1.75 mark. Yates? Still a question mark.

Now, with their bullpen gasping for air and October inching closer, the Dodgers are reportedly eyeing a new target. A hot trade name previously pursued by both the Mets and Phillies. And this time, they can’t afford to miss. The probable trade will involve the star closer from the Guardians.

“The Dodgers are reportedly interested in a BLOCKBUSTER trade with the Guardians for All-Stars Emmanuel Clase and Steven Kwan,” Dodgers Nation quoted Travis Rodgers of ESPN LA.

Well, among these two, Clase is a 3x All-Star, and his current figures are attracting suitors like a magnet.

Clase entered the All-Star team every year from 2022 to 2024, leading all of MLB in saves in both 2022 and 2023. He also topped the American League with a career-best 47 saves in 2024. And that dominant season also earned him third place in the AL Cy Young voting, thanks to a striking 0.61 ERA over 74 appearances.

This season, Clase has still been solid. Currently, he is sporting a 2.91 ERA with 42 strikeouts as a closer. And what’s more is that Clase is still on a team-friendly deal, making him a very attractive trade target. He’s under contract for $6.4 million next season, with two club options for $10 million each in 2027 and 2028.

So, if the Dodgers were to go after him, they’d be getting one of the game’s top closers under control through 2028 at a bargain price.

But such a top package would surely involve some good trade value. Especially when the Guardians are facing demands from other top teams.

It is projected that the Dodgers would need to offer their top few prospects, like Maddux Wrobleski, Nick Frasso, and Josue De Paulafor a deal. And even that might not be enough. The Guardians might also ask for a high-profile name like Dalton Rushing or Hyeseong Kim. That would surely be too costly for the Dodgers to move.

So, urgency or economics, which way would the Dodgers go?

The search for relievers for the Dodgers doesn’t end with Clase

Well, the Dodgers know what it means to pursue Clase along with the Phillies and the Mets. So, they are expanding their probable options that now also include a pair of Twins relievers.

“The Phillies have been extensively scouting Twins relievers Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax, hoping to acquire at least one of them. They are drawing strong interest from the Tigers, Cubs, Dodgers, and Reds,” MLB insider Bob Nightengale reported.

Jax has gone 1-4 with a 3.92 ERA over 44 appearances for the Twins this season. In contrast, Duran has posted a 5-4 record, a 1.66 ERA, 15 saves, and a 2.2 WAR in the same number of games. So, both right-handers would be major upgrades for the Dodgers’ bullpen. And they could really boost their chances of making another deep postseason run.

However, again, it all comes down to what value the Dodgers are willing to offer in exchange for the Twins or the Guardians. After the debacle with Scott and Yates, we are uncertain of whether they would again move for a blockbuster move.

With a 58-39 record, the Dodgers already have a comfortable lead over the Padres in the NL West, but landing a couple of impact arms like these could help them slam the door on the rest of the division. Now, it’ll be interesting to see how aggressive they get as the trade deadline approaches.