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Dodgers trade rumors: Brewers relievers Jon Axford, Francisco Rodriguez, Mike Gonzalez on radar

Dodgers relief pitchers in the National League rank 14th in ERA (4.31), 14th in WHIP (1.413), ninth in FIP (3.70) and fifth in FIP (3.75).

By Eric Stephen
Jeff Gross

The Dodgers have already added one starting pitcher this trading season, as Ricky Nolasco will make his Dodgers debut on Tuesday night in Arizona against the Diamondbacks. But the team is not done shopping for pitchers. The Dodgers are looking for a reliever too, and might find one from the Brewers, per Danny Knobler of CBS Sports.

Knobler reports that the Milwaukee trio of John Axford, Francisco Rodriguez and the left-handed Mike Gonzalez are being shopped by Milwaukee.

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Axford, 30, is 3-3 with a 3.86 ERA with 39 strikeouts and 15 walks in 37⅓ innings. He is the most expensive financially, as he has a $5 million salary (roughly $2.2 million remaining if acquired Thursday, for instance) this season and three more years of arbitration eligibility remaining, at an already inflated salary thanks to 105 saves from 2010-2012.

Per Knobler:

"Axford's a risk," said one scout from another team who saw him recently. "His stuff is good, but the command isn't there. I'd be worried about putting him in the eighth inning. K-Rod's changeup is really coming back. He might help someone."

Both Rodriguez, 31, and Gonzalez, 35, are free agents at the end of the season. Rodriguez has allowed just three runs in 22 appearances in 2013, with a 1.25 ERA, nine saves, 25 strikeouts and six unintentional walks in 21⅓ innings. Rodriguez's exact salary details are unknown but Jon Morosi of Fox Sports reported that Rodriguez is owed less than $1 million for the remainder of the season, but also that interest in Rodriguez has been "lukewarm" so far this season.

The southpaw Gonzalez has put up a 3.19 ERA in 45 games, with 40 strikeouts and 15 unintentional walks in 31 innings.

Knobler mentions that all five National League West teams have shown interest in the Brewers relievers as well as starter Yovani Gallardo. Morosi reports that the Diamondbacks and Brewers have had discussions about Axford, Rodriguez, and closer Jim Henderson, and mentions the Tigers and Orioles have shown interest as well.

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