Los Angeles Dodgers: Six biggest storylines entering the offseason

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6. How the team will look to address a bullpen in need

The Los Angeles Dodgers’ bullpen looked lights out in the National League Championship series, completely outpitching the dominant Milwaukee Brewers bullpen.

However, in the World Series, that bullpen was a shell of its former self. And while I do not want to kick a guy when he is down, Ryan Madson is a huge reason for that.

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Dave Roberts relied on Madson in the NLCS and you cannot blame him, he was lights out and was great at getting out of jams. However, in the World Series, Madson allowed every single inherited runner to score in three different appearances.

Part of this is Roberts and the decision-makers’ fault, as Madson was obviously not 100 percent and the team opted to go with him time and time again, expecting different results.

However, it is also the nature of the beast. The Los Angeles Dodgers have been very stringy in their bullpen acquisitions, often opting to go for reclamation projects instead of legitimate dominant arms.

It often works. Look at Joe Blanton, Brandon Morrow and now Madson; every year the Dodgers have one of these guys that the team morphs into a great reliever. Every single one of those guys eventually runs into a team that has figured him out, too.

Blanton let up a costly pinch-hit grand slam to the Chicago Cubs in the 2017 NLCS that ultimately cost the Dodgers the game. Morrow took a 1.08 postseason ERA into the World Series and allowed five earned runs in five and one-third innings. Madson went from dominant to a dud.

Next. Thank you, Kershaw. dark

After Madson became the third feel-good pitcher in a row to eventually squander his magic, the front office might have opened its eyes and realized that is time to bring in at least one more dominant arm alongside Kenley Jansen.

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