The Rockies traded Seth Halvorsen to the Dodgers on July 20, sending minor league right-hander Nick Frasso and minor league outfielder Landyn Vidourek back to Colorado in a move that immediately changed both clubs' bullpen picture.
For the Dodgers, the deal brings in a 26-year-old power arm with more than five seasons of club control remaining. Halvorsen was on the 15-day injured list with shoulder inflammation and was heading to Triple-A Oklahoma City to finish a rehab assignment he had just started, which means the Dodgers have a clear roster decision ahead once he is activated: keep him in the major league bullpen or option him first.
That choice matters because Halvorsen is not just a hard thrower. He averaged 99.6 mph on his four-seamer in the majors and 99.9 mph in Triple-A this year, and he has shown enough bat-missing ability to intrigue any contender looking for late-inning help. But the rest of the profile is less tidy. He has walked 12.1% of the hitters he has faced in the majors, allowed 1.52 home runs per nine innings and carried a 4.31 ERA across 71 major league innings over parts of three seasons.
Colorado has seen enough of the upside to know why the Dodgers wanted him. The Rockies selected Halvorsen in the seventh round in 2023, and he has already flashed improvement in the minors this season, posting a 2.04 ERA with a 32.4% strikeout rate in 17 1/3 Triple-A innings before the injury. He has also been used as an option player for the first time this year, with two more option years left after this season.
The timing also fits the Dodgers' current bullpen needs. They entered the day with a Major League Baseball-best 63-37 record, but several relievers were already on the injured list. Edwin Díaz had been out since late April after having a bone spur removed from his elbow, Blake Treinen went on the injured list in mid-June with elbow inflammation, Brusdar Graterol has not pitched in 2026 after back surgery on June 1, and Ben Casparius has been sidelined since mid-April with shoulder inflammation. Tanner Scott has handled the closer role, while Will Klein, Alex Vesia, Edgardo Henriquez and Jack Dreyer have all posted ERAs under 3.00.
That is why Halvorsen is such a classic Dodgers gamble: elite velocity, real control over the player for years, and enough present-day volatility to make the next step uncertain. If he comes back healthy and the command holds even a little better than it has before, the Dodgers may not wait long to use him. If not, they have the option to let him finish the rehab path at Triple-A Oklahoma City first and decide from there.
