Dodgers Rumors: With Bullpen Depth an Issue, Dodgers to Work Out Joe Kelly

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MIAMI, FL - SEPTEMBER 18: Joe Kelly #99 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches in the sixth inning during the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Miami Marlins at loanDepot park on Wednesday, September 18, 2024, in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Kelly Gavin/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

BOSTON, MA—The talk around the Los Angeles Dodgers this trade deadline centers on the bullpen, according to multiple MLB insiders. The Dodgers, led by Andrew Friedman and Brandon Gomes, are expected to pursue late-inning bullpen options heavily.

However, with the trade deadline less than a week away, the team is getting creative with its bullpen depth. According to insider Robert Murray of Fansided, the team is expected to have former Dodger Joe Kelly throw for the club in the coming days.

Kelly, 37, is currently a free agent after finishing his previous one-year contract with Los Angeles last season.

The fan favorite had an anticlimactic 2024 season for the Dodgers, posting a 4.78 ERA across 32 innings last season. However, his year was cut short due to a lingering shoulder injury.

While Kelly was unable to participate and help the Dodgers secure their eighth World Series title in franchise history, Kelly’s comments about the New York Yankees’ defense were a mismatch for the Bronx Bombers.

Adding Kelly would give the Dodgers a familiar reliever without sacrificing prospects. Rival MLB executives say the cost for bullpen help is quite high. However, the organization wanted to avoid entering the bullpen market so late in the season after signing Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates in the offseason.

The Dodgers’ need for bullpen help is no secret, as the team ranks in the bottom third in ERA and leads the Major League Baseball in innings pitched.

While veteran right-handed relief pitcher Blake Treinen is expected to rejoin the team either today or tomorrow, they’ll still be without top free agent Tanner Scott and his career-worst seven blown saves, and have seen the overall production of multiple arms decrease as the summer has gone on.

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