The Dodgers could have gone all in at the July 31st trade deadline and acquired a top tier reliever like Kyle Barraclough, Drew Steckenrider, or Adam Conley but the front office chose to go the unconventional route by trading for John Axford. The front office felt more comfortable waiting out the return of their disabled list arms such as Josh Fields, Tony Cingrani, and Julio Urias.
The Dodgers also will shift one or two of their rotation arms to the bullpen for their potential playoff roster. One starter who is already being shifted to the bullpen is Julio Urias.