The Los Angeles Dodgers made a plethora of significant moves in the offseason to add pitching in the starting rotation and the bullpen. However, after a slew of injuries to both, they are once again in need of additions there.
According to an article from Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report, the Dodgers are predicted to trade for both bullpen and starting pitching help at the MLB trade deadline.
The title of the section from Kelly's piece paints the whole picture: "Dodgers will have to trade for both starting pitching and relief pitching depth."
Kelly not only predicts the Dodgers will add pitching, but they "have to" add that pitching. Their need for pitching, despite having a lot of talent on the roster, is due to injuries up and down the roster.
Of their starters, Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell, Tony Gonsolin, and Roki Sasaki are all prominent starters who are out due to injuries of various severity. That's not including the pitching depth in Emmett Sheehan, River Ryan, and Gavin Stone.
In the bullpen, Luis Garcia, Blake Treinen, Evan Phillips, Brusdar Graterol, Edgardo Henriquez, Kyle Hurt, and Michael Grove are all on the injured list. Michael Kopech and Kirby Yates were recently activated, but overall, there is a significant portion of their bullpen out due to injury.
Between the healthy starters and relievers, the Dodgers could field two teams worth solid rotations and bullpens due to their injuries. A fully healthy Dodgers rotation doesn't seem possible with all of the injuries suffered in recent years.
Those injuries have Kelly predicting Los Angeles will add to both the bullpen and the rotation. The Dodgers are on a quest to win back-to-back World Series championships. With the state of the roster, the Dodgers "will have to" make additions in the bullpen and rotation if they want to win come the postseason.
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