San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers as trade partners?

The San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers have rarely matched up as trade partners. Could that change this summer?

The Los Angeles Dodgers need bullpen help. The San Francisco Giants have a deep stable of quality relief arms.

Could the two teams be set to pull the trigger on their first swap since 2007 when the Giants sent veteran Mark Sweeney to the Dodgers in exchange for minor leaguer Travis Denker?

According to Jon Morosi of MLB.com in a recent article, there is interest on the Dodgers side of things: “Sources say the Dodgers have varying levels of interest in multiple Giants relievers, including [Will] Smith, former Dodger Tony Watson, Sam Dyson and Reyes Moronta.”

The Dodgers bullpen ranks eighth in the majors with a 3.95 ERA, but they’ve had a hard time closing out games with 14 blown saves in 40 chances. Aside from closer Kenley Jansen and setup man Pedro Baez, the team has been lacking in reliable late-inning options.

All four of the Giants relievers listed above are having a strong season and would give the Dodgers a quality setup option to pair with Baez:

• Will Smith: 37 G, 23/23 SV, 1.98 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, 13.1 K/9
• Tony Watson: 37 G, 18 HLD, 3.38 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 6.8 K/9
• Sam Dyson: 40 G, 14 HLD, 2.30 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 8.2 K/9
• Reyes Moronta: 36 G, 9 HLD, 2.72 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 12.3 K/9

What can the Giants expect in exchange if they do wind up dealing one of those relief arms to their rivals?

Morosi wrote: “For now, at least, the Dodgers are highly unlikely to part with one of their top four prospects according to MLBPipeline.com — Keibert Ruiz, Gavin Lux, Dustin May, and, yes, Will Smith — for a rental reliever, even one as exceptional as Smith.”

Some prospects of interest beyond that group include shortstop Jeter Downs, slugging outfielder DJ Peters and right-handed pitchers Mitchell White and Tony Gonsolin. The Giants could also target MLB swingman Ross Stripling, who has team control through the 2022 season.

Will the Giants be willing to deal with their rivals? Will the Dodgers be willing to pay the necessary price to get a deal done?

One thing is for sure, it’s shaping up to be an exciting trade deadline for the San Francisco Giants.