Seattle Mariners Trade-a-Day: 5 More Roenis Elías Trades

LOS ANGELES DODGERS

The Dodgers may be the best team in baseball, but they’re not exempt from the relieving woes that have greatly spread throughout the league this year. Rumor has it that they’re currently eyeballing a blockbuster deal for one of the big-name relievers on the market, particularly Vázquez. Even if they’re successful in acquiring one of those arms, it may be in their best interests to follow in Tampa Bay’s footsteps to secure more than one significant bullpen piece.

Before Rich Hill landed on the Injured List, Ross Stripling was Los Angeles’ primary innings-eater out of the bullpen. But now Stripling has entered their rotation and Julio Urías has started taking on the bulk of the innings. Elías offers something the Dodgers don’t have: more multi-inning flexibility and a legit third (or fourth) late-game option to put alongside Pedro Báez and Kenley Jansen.

The prize in this deal for the Mariners is Jeren Kendall, but don’t sleep on left-handed reliever Logan Salow. He isn’t going to light up any radar guns, but will consistently stay in the low to mid-90s on the fastball and keep his wipeout slider in his back pocket. That’s worked out well for him this year, posting a 14.86 K/9 in his 43 innings of work thus far. He fits the mold of what Dipoto has always targeted in young relief prospects.

As for Kendall, this is another Dipoto guy through and through and there’s been no better time to buy low on him. Now in his second full professional season, Kendall just hasn’t figured it out at the plate. Once projected to be the first overall pick in the 2017 draft, Kendall sunk to the Dodgers’ pick at 23rd overall and it doesn’t appear he’s made his way out of the quicksand just yet.

There’s a lot to be excited about with Kendall’s defensive ability, athleticism, and speed, but the bat is still significantly been holding him back. Over the last few years, the Mariners have been successful in helping players adjust their swing mechanics and overall place approach, so there should be a level confidence that, if the M’s could get their hands on Kendall, they could eventually help him turn things around.

There’s a lot of swing-and-miss in there right now, though. And the Dodgers may be starting to get a bit impatient. For as much potential as Kendall carries, I can’t see L.A. hesitating too long to deal him in order to make their team better in any shape or form this season, especially given how rich their system is.