The Dodgers may be looking to add bullpen help in contentious places.
Los Angeles is interested in Giants closer Will Smith, according to MLB.com. And while it would be odd to see San Francisco deal a player to help out its rival in Southern California, it apparently isn't out of the question.
According to MLB.com, the Giants are not ruling out the possibility of making a deal with the Dodgers for Smith.
#Dodgers, #SFGiants aren’t ruling out the prospect of making a Will Smith trade, source says. The rivals haven’t paired up on a deal since @Sweendog9 to L.A. for Travis Denker in 2007. @MLB @MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) June 25, 2019
Deals between the Dodgers and Giants are exceedingly rare as the last time the teams hooked up on a trade was more than a decade ago when the Giants sent Mark Sweeney to the Dodgers for Travis Denker in 2007.
But considering the Giants are both out of the race for a playoff spot and may very well be out of the postseason conversation for at least a couple of years, there is little risk in trading a closer to an arch rival.
Bear in mind, San Francisco's president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi was hired away from the Dodgers after he spent the previous five seasons as the general manager for Los Angeles.
Whether or not that connection could make way for deals between the two teams remains to be seen, but it couldn't hurt.
The Dodgers are currently the best team in MLB record-wise at 54-26, but their bullpen has struggled at times. Joe Kelly, who the team signed this offseason to address issues from last season, has been especially bad, posting a 6.39 ERA and 4.45 FIP in 25 1/3 innings this season.
Smith, though, has been fantastic for the Giants as he is a perfect 20-for-20 in save opportunities while posting a 2.01 ERA and 2.10 FIP. He would be a big help to the Dodgers, and considering the team's need for relief help, he could fetch a solid price as well if Los Angeles is desperate enough.
And don't expect Zaidi to give the Dodgers a discount because they are his former team. He is apparently already driving a hard bargain on Madison Bumgarner, who would be just a rental for teams hoping to pick him up in a trade.
But Los Angeles' need for relievers and Zaidi's insistence upon receiving back good value for his assets could very well lead to the first trade between the two teams since 2007.