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ESPN’s Jeff Passan has identified Rays reliever Riley O’Brien as the top trade fit for the Dodgers, per a report published on MSN. No deal is imminent — this is Passan’s analysis of what makes sense for both sides — but when one of the most connected reporters in baseball draws a line between a player and our roster, it’s worth paying attention to.

O’Brien has been a bit of a quiet riser in the Tampa Bay bullpen. The right-hander first reached the majors with the Rays after bouncing around the minors for several years, and he’s carved out a legitimate late-inning role with a power fastball-slider combination that generates whiffs at an above-average clip. He’s the type of arm that doesn’t show up on national highlight reels but absolutely shows up in leverage situations — exactly the profile the Dodgers have historically targeted at the deadline. Tampa Bay, perpetually in cost-control mode and willing to move useful pieces when the return is right, makes for a familiar trade partner.

For the Dodgers, the bullpen has been a running conversation all season. We’ve dealt with the Brusdar Graterol absence, watched Yohan Díaz work his way back from injury, and leaned on a patchwork of arms to bridge games to the late innings. The rotation has been strong enough to mask some of the relief volatility, but in October — where we all know this team’s ambitions lie — you can never have too many trustworthy arms in the pen. A pitcher like O’Brien, who comes with team control and wouldn’t require the Dodgers to surrender top-tier prospect capital, fits the front office’s usual approach of adding depth without gutting the farm.

It’s also notable that this comes on the heels of Dave Roberts openly saying the Dodgers “have the prospect capital” for a big move — a comment widely interpreted as being about Tarik Skubal and the Tigers. But the front office under Andrew Friedman has always worked multiple tracks simultaneously. Going after a frontline starter doesn’t preclude picking up a reliever, and in fact the two moves complement each other. If the Dodgers land a Skubal-caliber arm for the rotation, shoring up the bullpen behind him becomes even more critical.

The Rays are a team the Dodgers know well from a transactional standpoint. Friedman’s Tampa roots and the existing relationship between the two front offices have greased the wheels on deals before. O’Brien wouldn’t be a splashy headline — he’d be the kind of smart, under-the-radar addition that looks obvious in hindsight when he’s throwing 97 in the seventh inning of a playoff game.

I like this fit. The Dodgers don’t need to swing for the fences with every trade. Sometimes the best deadline work is adding a reliable arm who can get outs in high-pressure spots without costing you a top-five prospect. O’Brien checks those boxes, and if Passan is connecting the dots publicly, there’s a reasonable chance the Dodgers’ front office has already done the same privately. One to keep on your radar as we move deeper into June.

Source(s): Jeff Passan (MSN) | First reported: June 6, 2026 2:53 PM UTC

God Bless and Go Dodgers