The Dodgers don’t have the Edwin Díaz version of this bullpen they thought they were buying, but that doesn’t mean the group has lost its teeth.
Even without Díaz turning into the October hammer Los Angeles imagined when it spent big last offseason, this relief corps looks nothing like the one that barely survived a year ago. The mix is deeper, more versatile and, most importantly for playoff baseball, built to miss bats.
The Dodgers lead the National League in strikeout rate and sit second in the majors at 25.5 percent, behind only the Guardians. That matters when the game tightens in October.
At the top is Tanner Scott, who has taken on the closer job the Dodgers had envisioned for Díaz. The former Padre has had his share of messy moments, which helps explain the 1-5 record, but the overall picture is still one the Dodgers can live with.
He may not carry the same aura as Mason Miller or Josh Hader, yet the return on investment has been enough to keep the optimism intact. And if Scott isn’t the answer in every spot, the Dodgers have another route ready to go.
That alternative could be Roki Sasaki, who already showed last year how useful he can be out of the bullpen. While he has been working back from a nagging blister and taking steps forward as a starter, his immediate postseason value still points to relief work. The Dodgers could even put him in the closer role again, though Scott’s struggles in non-save situations this season - his opponent’s OPS is north of .700 there - may push the club to keep Scott in the ninth and use Sasaki as more of a fireman.
The setup work behind Scott has been strong, too. Edgardo Henríquez has locked down a major role with stuff that plays as loudly as the results. After being a useful option late last season, he has sharpened his arsenal and approach enough to bring his strikeout rate to the neighborhood expected for a pitcher with his ability, near 30 percent.
Then there’s Alex Vesia, who may be in line for a final run in a Dodgers uniform. He’s a free agent to be, and the Dodgers have other priorities, but for now he remains one of the most dependable pieces in the bullpen. Vesia has grown far beyond the lefty specialist label, and he has been just as effective against right-handed and left-handed hitters, holding slugging percentage allowed below .300 against both.
Jack Dreyer fits into that same dependable tier, and maybe even as Vesia’s successor in time. The Dodgers developed him in-house, and in only his second big league season he has already become a major part of the mix. He has logged more than 130 innings since the start of last season, carries a sub-3.00 ERA and has been equally tough on hitters from both sides of the plate.
From there, the Dodgers can mix and match with a group that includes starters turned relievers, a wrinkle that could end up mattering a lot in October. Justin Wrobleski has been a breakout arm despite some recent home run trouble, and the Dodgers can use him in multi-inning relief in a way most teams simply can’t. Emmet Sheehan, who returned to the big leagues this month and has looked sharp, also gives them another option if they want to use a talented starter in lower-leverage innings.
The most intriguing wild card may still be Evan Phillips. Finally healthy and pitching well when available, he remains one of the better development stories in this bullpen.
Phillips was a major piece in the run to the World Series last postseason before injury sidelined him for the Fall Classic, and while he isn’t Díaz at his peak, he is still the kind of arm that can change a game. Right now, he looks like the easiest pitcher on the staff to bump to the front of the line for high-leverage work.
Brock Stewart and Blake Treinen add even more depth, though their reliability comes with a little more uncertainty. Still, that’s the point: even the best bullpens usually don’t have this many legitimate options sitting around. For the Dodgers, that might be the difference between a bullpen that simply survives and one that becomes a real weapon when the postseason pressure hits.
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For a team that has never shied from big swings, this is still a different kind of gamble. Committing that kind of contract to a pitcher in his 30s would carry obvious risk, especially for a club that has to keep one eye on its long-term financial flexibility, but letting a front-line arm walk after paying the deadline price would sting in its own way. The Dodgers do not have to answer it today, but the closer Skubal gets to free agency, the harder it gets to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
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Dodgers Are Finally Turning To A Top Prospect For Answers
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De Paula arrives with the reputation of a highly ranked prospect and the kind of upside the Dodgers have long been willing to bet on. He is expected to fit into the outfield mix and could also see time at designated hitter, giving Los Angeles another look at a bat it believes may be ready for a bigger stage. The only real question now is how quickly the transition comes together once he gets his first extended run. [Read more 🡒]