Remember when the Los Angeles Dodgers made a minor offseason move and acquired starter Mike Bolsinger from the Arizona Diamondbacks for cash?
The right-hander is now 3-0 with a 0.71 ERA, 0.789 WHIP and 22 strikeouts in his first four starts (25 1/3 innings) with the Dodgers. His latest outing came over the weekend against the San Diego Padres, during which he gave up a leadoff single to Yangervis Solarte and then retired the next 23 consecutive batters before closer Kenley Jansen came on for the save.
FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal detailed why stat gurus were in love with Bolsinger this offseason and the reasons have shown thus far.
Bolsinger has proven to be a considerable asset for Los Angeles, especially since Brandon McCarthy and Hyun-jin Ryu were lost for the year thanks to season-ending surgeries. He could become a favorable long-term solution as well because Brett Anderson is slated to hit free agency and Zack Greinke can opt out of his contract if he wishes to do so after 2015.
But the Dodgers aren't particularly worrying about that just yet. They still need to survive this year in the competitive NL West and they've been slipping as of late. The starting rotation can make or break them down the road and the problem with theirs has been continuity. Bolsinger and Carlos Frias have filled in for McCarthy and Ryu, but Frias may not be a reliable option as the season progresses.
He was charged with 10 earned runs on 12 hits and two walks over four innings against the Padres this past Sunday and he's now 3-2 with a 5.34 ERA and 1.57 WHIP in seven games (five starts) this season. He has pitched fairly well prior to that disaster, but he has now provided a reason for the Dodgers to worry.
"The 25-year-old cannot be a trusted member of the rotation over the long run at this point in his career," writes Anthony Witrado of ESPNLosAngeles.com. "That is why the team's front office is likely to aggressively pursue outside help on the trade market over the next month, depending on how good or bad Bolsinger, Frias and Brett Anderson perform."
The Dodgers probably aren't ready to completely jump ship on Frias just yet, but he'll be under a microscope in his subsequent starts.
Anderson has been solid for the Dodgers, but his lengthy injury history still remains a big question mark. The club has a number of starters (Joe Wieland, Zach Lee, Erik Bedard and others) in the minor leagues as well as Brandon Beachy returning in June from Tommy John surgery, but these options cannot be counted on to provide a stable solution for the rest of 2015.
As a result, the trade market is always an option, and plentiful rumors have surrounded the Dodgers since late last year.
"President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman has said the Dodgers will do their scouting and vetting in advance of a potential trade that could come as early as June, well before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline," adds Witrado. "Beyond that, there is not much he can do since no team with truly desirable assets has declared itself a seller at this point."
Some names have already been thrown out there, such as David Price, Cole Hamels, Johnny Cueto, Jordan Zimmermann, Mike Leake, Scott Kazmir, Jesse Chavez, Kyle Lohse, Matt Garza, Yovani Gallardo and others, but the market has yet to develop and Los Angeles will have to wait probably until July to get a better idea of what it'll cost them to acquire an established starter.
Friedman and general manager Farhan Zaidi likely have some tricks of their sleeves, so it'll be interesting to see what happens if the Dodgers are desperately in need of a starter. The performances of Bolsinger, Anderson and Frias over the next couple of months will provide more transparency regarding the Dodgers' plans prior to the trade deadline.
