The Los Angeles Dodgers are in heavy pursuit of a big name bullpen arm at the 2025 MLB trade deadline. Here are some options for Los Angeles, as well as their top target.
Dodgers Targeting Big Name Pitchers at Trade Deadline, Eyes on Twins' Jhoan Duran originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Los Angeles Dodgers lead the National League Central and have the second-best record in the National League, a day before the 2025 MLB trade deadline. The Dodgers will be active at the deadline, and are reportedly targeting the big names, with a reliever as the top priority, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.
The Dodgers' pitching has been banged up all year long and is starting to get healthy. However, Los Angeles' high-leverage bullpen arms have not performed.
Reliever Alex Vesia leads the team in ERA, besides Shohei Ohtani, who's made six starts, with an impressive 2.42 ERA across 44.2 innings. But after that, the Dodgers' big names haven't performed.
Closer Tanner Scott has a 4.14 ERA with seven blown saves. Kirby Yates and Blake Treinen both have ERAs over four, and Treinen has dealt with injuries all season.
The Minnesota Twins are expected to trade closer Jhoan Duran by the end of the day with the Los Angeles Dodgers in strong pursuit.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) July 30, 2025
The Twins have also been in heavy discussions with the Phillies but have not lowered their asking price of prized pitching prospect Andrew Painter.
ESPN's Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan named a bunch of relievers the Dodgers are interested in at the deadline, headlined by Minnesota Twins' closer Jhoan Duran.
"Duran is one of the best relievers in the sport, thanks to his nasty stuff, headlined by a fastball that averages 100.4 mph and a splinker that sits at 97.6 mph," McDaniel and Passan wrote. "He has two more years of team control after this season, so he'd demand a big trade package."
As one of the best closers in the game, Duran would be the Dodgers' top target. However, as mentioned, with the multiple years of club control and talent, the price will be high.
Other big-name relievers the Dodgers could target are Cleveland Guardians reliever Cade Smith, Tampa Bay Rays reliever Pete Fairbanks, or Twins reliever Griffin Jax. Smith has been one of the best relievers in baseball based on his WAR since the start of 2024, but he has four more years of team control and may be difficult to acquire. Fairbanks has elite stuff, but with the Rays' current bullpen situation and being in the playoff hunt, he may not be available either.
However, Jax may be another, more attainable option for the Dodgers to acquire from the Twins.
"Despite a 3.92 ERA that says otherwise, Jax has been one of the top relievers in baseball this season -- the best by xFIP and toward the top in other similar metrics," McDaniel and Passan wrote. "Over the past two seasons, he's second in the sport behind Cade Smith in reliever WAR. Only Fernando Cruz and Mason Miller have a better strikeout rate than Jax's 14.37 per nine, and his sweeper-heavy arsenal induces as much swing-and-miss as anyone."
Finally, two more big names the Dodgers could target are St. Louis Cardinals' closer Ryan Helsley and Pittsburgh Pirates closer David Bednar.
"In a market replete with relief options, the 30-year-old Bednar brings high-end performance without quite the price tag of his peers," McDaniel and Passan wrote. "His swing-and-miss stuff has been elite since his return from Triple-A, and he has more than salvaged his trade value: Over his past 23 outings, Bednar has struck out 29, walked five and posted a 0.00 ERA."
The Dodgers have plenty of options on the market, but there is also plenty of competition. It wouldn't surprise anyone if the Dodgers go get the best guy available, but if Duran doesn't end up a Dodger, guys like Bednar, Jax, or the others could be headed to Los Angeles soon.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Baseball
