UPDATE (July 31, 5:15 p.m. PT): After keeping Dustin May at the MLB trade deadline, the Los Angeles Dodgers reportedly are set to call up the organization’s top pitching prospect.
Heading into the final hour before the MLB trade deadline, all indications continued to point to the Los Angeles Dodgers remaining in pursuit of bullpen options.
As lesser options began to be traded, the Dodgers have been prominently connected to Pittsburgh Pirates All-Star Felipe Vazquez and Detroit Tigers closer Shane Greene. Talks between the Dodgers and Pirates have seemingly been ongoing for several weeks and centered around familiar names.
Initial reports had Pittsburgh zeroed in on a return including some combination of Gavin Lux, Dustin May, Keibert Ruiz and Will Smith. More recently, the Pirates were said to be focused on Ruiz and Lux.
According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, in order for the Dodgers to trade for Vazquez, they would need to part with Ruiz along with one of Lux or May:
With the deadline an hour away, the #Pirates have not moved off their ask of Gavin Lux OR Dustin May plus Keibert Ruiz from the #Dodgers for Felipe Vázquez, source tells The Athletic. #Dodgers currently focused on lesser relievers. Situation remains fluid, subject to change.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 31, 2019
Should Pittsburgh hold firm on their stance, it would seem to be a hurdle to a trade being consummated. The Dodgers have not shown any willingness to deal May, and Lux is considered off limits.
The approach is similar to what Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman has regularly held in prior trade talks.
Although Vazquez is an elite closer who is under team control through the 2023 season and would satisfy the Dodgers’ need for a left-handed relief pitcher, Friedman has been adamant he will not completely mortgage the future for an opportunity at a World Series in 2019.