Perhaps you’re like me. Maybe you like these strange nickel and dime trades for bullpen pieces that had so much potential at one point. Joe Blanton, Brandon Morrow, even Bradon Beachy. Small deals that have such low risk and offer so much reward. Unfortunately, that has not worked out for the Dodgers this year.

The trades for Ryan Madson and John Axford actually got me really excited for a bullpen that was in desperate need of help. Madson is just one year removed from an incredible season that saw him 1.83 earned run average pitching with the A’s and Nationals. Granted, 2018 had been rough on him, but the potential was there.

#Dodgers acquiring Ryan Madson from #Nationals, source tells The Athletic. Return not yet known. Claim of Madson first reported by @kengurnick. — Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) August 31, 2018

We all knew John Axford was more of a project piece and roll of the dice. But his unusual effectiveness against left-handed hitters made him seem like a diamond in the rough. Neither of these guys cost the team much, just a few unproven prospects. Both guys certainly looked like a gamble well worth taking.

But alas, here we are. Axford is out with a broken fibula and he wasn’t exactly missing bats when he was healthy either. The two have combined to allow 11 earned runs across just 6.2 innings of work. That amounts to an earned run average of 14.85 in their short time with Los Angeles.

The two were brought on in hopes of adding some postseason relief help, but it’s looking like they won’t even make the roster. It’s weird to think that Pedro Baez is pitching infinitely better than those two in the same time period. Baez has allowed just one earned run in his last eleven appearances. That amounts to a 0.77 ERA.

Outlook

While there have been some welcomed additions, these two, in particular, have made the past few weeks rough. Madson most recently allowed three earned runs against Cincinnati on Monday night, a game where the Dodgers were blown away by a terrible team. Don’t expect to see these guys on the team by the end of the year.

[button color=”red” size=”big” alignment=”center” rel=”follow” openin=”samewindow” url=”https://www.dodgersnation.com/game-preview-dodgers-head-to-cincinnati-for-series-against-reds-ac0899/2018/09/10/”]Game Preview: Dodgers Head to Cincinnati For Series Against Reds[/button]