“Their track records speak for themselves” – Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confident in bullpen despite struggles early in the year

It was a disappointing showing for the Los Angeles Dodgers pitching staff on Sunday night. Although the team gave up six runs to the San Diego Padres, it was the pitching staff's lack of command that sent fans into a frenzy. En route to a 6-3 loss, Los Angeles pitchers dished out a whopping 14 walks, eight of which came from starter James Paxton.

Although much of the attention this offseason has been placed on the Los Angeles Dodgers' acquisitions on offense and their starting pitching, the bullpen has been largely overshadowed. There have been a number of question marks surrounding the bullpen, with the group being considered one of the weaknesses of the club.

That being said, while many fans and experts might be questioning the effectiveness of the bullpen, manager Dave Roberts is not. In a recent interview with Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register, Roberts expressed his confidence in the bullpen.

"Dave Roberts on the Dodgers bullpen: "The walk is something that is tough to watch. But the guys that we have we really like. Their track records speak for themselves. And we just gotta be more consistent.” What do you think of these comments?" - @DodgersNation

“Their track records speak for themselves," Dave Roberts said of the bullpen's experience in the majors. "We just gotta be more consistent," he added in reference to the number of walks issued by the staff against the San Diego Padres.

During Sunday's loss to the San Diego Padres, Los Angeles sent five pitchers to the mound, all of whom issued at least one walk. Starter James Paxton issued eight walks, Ryan Brasier gave up one, JP Feyereisen issued two, Alex Vesia gave up two, and Nick Ramirez also gave up one.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers could look elsewhere to bolster their bullpen if things do not improve

Even though manager Dave Roberts has expressed his confidence in the bullpen and their historic success in the majors, the front office may be less willing to exercise patience. Given the historic offseason that saw the club add the likes of Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Teoscar Hernandez, among others, the team has its eyes set on the World Series.

If the Los Angeles Dodgers are looking to add some other bullpen arms on the trade market, they could look to teams such as the Chicago White Sox, Colorado Rockies, and potentially even the Miami Marlins if they decide to sell at the trade deadline.