It's been a busy trade deadline for the Los Angeles Dodgers. They've acquired some much-needed bullpen help in a deal for Michael Kopech and bolstered their lineup depth and defensive versatility by adding utility men Tommy Edman and Amed Rosario.
While starting pitching may still be on LA's radar, July has exposed the bullpen as a significant area of need for the Dodgers. Additional reinforcements could be coming in the form of rehabbing relievers Brusdar Graterol and Michael Grove, but there's another reliever on the trade market who could help solidify the back end of a bullpen that's been faulty of late.
According to Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic, Oakland Athletics right-handed reliever Lucas Erceg "is drawing significant interest" from multiple teams as the July 30 deadline nears.
Erceg has been a bright spot on a dreadful A's pitching staff this season. In 38 appearances he's pitched 36.2 innings and posted a 3.68 ERA. Opponents are hitting .225 against him this season, which is down from .245 a season ago.
In 2024 Erceg has started striking out fewer hitters than he did last year, but his walk rate is down significantly from 14.3 percent to 8.3 percent, and his ground ball rate has jumped from 44.0 percent to 50.4 percent.
At 29 years old he's not exactly a young prospect, but he does have only 88 Major League appearances and he's under team control for five more seasons. Erceg is the kind of mid-season acquisition who would certainly help the Dodgers right away. His growth from last year to this year also provides optimism that there's room for additional improvement in an organization like LA that consistently cranks out high-end pitching talent.
Oakland at press time is one of only two teams yet to make a deal, and all indications are they're not keen on moving any of their top players like Mason Miller or Brent Rooker. If Erceg is available for a reasonable price, the Dodgers should jump at the opportunity to add him to their bullpen given how much he could help them in 2024 and beyond.
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