‘Pen arms on block could transform new club

We tend to focus on starting pitching and impact bats as the non-waiver Trade Deadline nears, and rightfully so. Among the hot names: Rich Hill, Jay Bruce, Chris Archer and Jonathan Lucroy.

Less talked about are the relievers. Some of the most intriguing names are not as well known.

Jeremy Jeffress? He’s a 28-year-old right-hander for the Brewers with a 97-mph sinker and a 2.35 ERA in 40 appearances.

Jake Barrett is another. He has emerged as a big-time weapon for the D-backs.

Sometimes, these are the guys who decide playoff berths. Teams seeking starting pitching will strengthen themselves by shoring up their bullpen, thereby lightening the load on the rotation.

That was true last season when Rangers general manager Jon Daniels changed the look of his entire team by acquiring Jake Diekman and Sam Dyson.

Yes, Daniels got Cole Hamels as well, and the Rangers wouldn’t have won the American League West without him. But as one opposing manager said, “Those two relievers created a monster of a bullpen. When they got a lead, they held it.”

Five years ago, Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak acquired three relievers for the stretch run. He got Marc Rzepczynski and Octavio Dotel from Toronto at the Deadline, then added veteran free-agent lefty Arthur Rhodes in August.

That was the season that the Cardinals won 33 of their final 54 games to clinch a postseason berth on the final day of the season. Rzepczynski, Dotel and Rhodes combined for 54 appearances in the final two months. All three of them pitched in the World Series, and Dotel and Rhodes got big outs in the Game 7 victory.

At the time of the deals, though, it wasn’t clear how much Mozeliak had actually upgraded his team.

Looking ahead to this year’s August 1 non-waiver Trade Deadline, here are 10 relievers to keep an eye …

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