January 14th, 2021 at 8:00 am 
by Ron Cervenka When the final out of the 2020 World Series was recorded, seven Dodgers immediately became free agents. They are (alphabetically):
With Dodgers pitchers and catchers (presumably) set to report for Spring Training 2021 on Tuesday, February 16 – exactly 33 days from today – five of those seven World Series champion free agent Dodgers remained unsigned, with Blake Treinen having re-signed with the Dodgers on January 5, 2021.
On Wednesday afternoon, it was widely reported (and later confirmed) that soon-to-be (on March 11) 33-year-old right-hander Pedro Báez had agreed to a two-year/$10 million contract with the (wait for it…) Houston Astros; the same team that cheated him and his fellow (now former) Dodgers teammates out of the 2017 World Series title. But as they say (whoever ‘they’ are), ‘Money talks and…’ well, you know the rest. And as they also say, ‘It is what it is.’
Per sources, Báez will receive a $500K signing bonus, salaries of $4.5M and $5.5M respectively in 2021 and 2022, with a $7.5M club option for a third year or a $2M buyout.
In his seven MLB seasons, all with the Dodgers, Báez posted a career mark of 21-15 with a 3.03 ERA. He appeared in a total of 355 games in Dodger Blue, during which he walked 120 and struck out 369 while allowing 39 home runs. And even though he amassed 51 games finished with the Dodgers, the Bani, Dominican Republic native, whom the Dodgers signed as an amateur free agent in 2007, never recorded a save.
It’s no secret that feelings towards or about Báez by Dodger fans were pretty much mixed during his time in LA; fans either really liked him or really did not. To be fair, this probably had more to do with the (seemingly) permanent ‘I don’t give a damn’ expression on his face than his effectiveness … not to mention his infamous propensity for taking a very long time between pitches, which pretty much annoyed everyone.
Ironically, if there indeed is a 2021 regular season, the Dodgers are scheduled to play the Astros on May 25 and 26 at Minute Maid Park in Houston, and again on August 3 and 4 at Dodger Stadium.
Stay tuned…
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Works out to a $12.5M guarantee for a marginal reliever whose fastball is declining as his age is increasing. Sorry Pedro, but I cannot root for you pitching for the Houston Cheetos.
Nothing ever annoyed me about Baez’s pitching. I’m sorry to see him go. Good luck to him, except against us.
@Dodgers Blake Treinen.
Fixed. Thanks, Bob.
I can’t recall Pedro ever complaining or lashing out at anyone…I can recall many times when folks gave him the opportunity. He was severely frustrating because he couldn’t locate pitches properly. He’d throw high when the glove was low, inside when the glove was outside. He also did this is during high leveraged situations. Baez was far from Milton Bradley however, in fact from everything I’ve read he was a model teammate and employee, he just could quite stay in the groove. With a few exceptions, I can’t remember what year it was, perhaps when Kershaw and others were down? But Baez stood strong and pulled more then his weight that season, only to revert back to being inconstant the next. Pedro was a favorite of mine for going back out there and giving the team what he could, without causing conflicts to the chemistry of things….good or bad. In saying that, he can be replaced and perhaps it is the right time to do so. I’m not a hater though.
Nicely put! Kudos to you.
As Pink Floyd sang so perfectly
Time to go knock knock knock time to go
Both Baez and Pink Floyd dealt with issues concerning pressure sensitive break-downs. Personally, in my not so humbled opinion, Floyd tunes would be too mellow for most Baez conversations. Now LL Cool J’S mama mood would certainly fit.