Los Angeles Dodgers trade candidate: Zach Britton

The Los Angeles Dodgers could use a wipeout southpaw in the bullpen for a World Series run. Enter Baltimore Orioles closer, Zach Britton.

While the Los Angeles Dodgers pitching staff has stepped it up, the team could always use some added reinforcements down the stretch to make a possible World Series run.

The bullpen has been a huge part of this turnaround and has turned around themselves as the Dodgers continue to win. Right now, the need to add a bullpen arm is significantly less than that need was two months ago.

However, the front office is always looking to get better and the bullpen may be the first area the team addresses. It seems that every team looks to improve the bullpen, regardless of how good it is, around the trade deadline.

If the Dodgers do want to go that route and put all of the chips on the table, the team could consider a long-time trade candidate, Orioles closer Zach Britton.

Britton has been connected to the Dodgers for quite some time to be the second wipeout arm in the pen alongside Kenley Jansen. If Britton did not get injured at the before the season, he very well could’ve already been in Dodger Blue.

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It may be for the better, though, that the Dodgers did not land Britton when they did. His injury and the Orioles status as the worst team in baseball has hurt his trade value. It also hurts that Britton has not lit the world on fire since his return from the DL, either.

The Dodgers would still have to pay a decent price for Britton, who at his best is arguably the best southpaw reliever in the game. One top-tier prospect, such as outfielder Yusniel Diaz, and other lesser prospects would be enough to land Britton in a trade.

And if Britton can at least come close to his old form then the Dodgers would have their own version of Andrew Miller. Britton could come in during high leverage situations, whenever they may be, to shut down a rally. Whether that is an eighth-inning bridge or a sixth-inning rally stopper depends on the night.

That role is huge in the postseason. If the Dodgers had another arm to rely on besides Brandon Morrow, they very well could have won the World Series.

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Zach Britton’s health will likely be the key deciding factor to whether or not the Los Angeles Dodgers pursue the southpaw. If there are no health complications, I say pull the trigger.

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