January 26th, 2021 at 8:00 am 
by 0799291000348 For the 2020 season, the Dodgers had one of the best bullpens in MLB. ERA, Saves, WAR, batting average against, or advanced statistics like opposing hitters soft contact, the team’s core of relievers were at the top of the leader boards. After the season, the Dodgers were faced with rebuilding their bullpen when four of their relievers (Pedro Baéz, Jake McGee, Blake Treinen, and Alex Wood) became free agents. Julio Urías is all but guaranteed a spot in the 2021 starting rotation. Jimmy Nelson was released after spending the season on the IL season, and Tommy John surgery has Caleb Ferguson out of action until spring training 2022.
The Dodgers started their rebuilding process by trading minor league pitcher Leo Crawford to the Milwaukee Brewers in December 2020 for 29-year old, right-handed reliever Corey Knebel, who was the Brew Crew’s closer (2017-18) until TJ surgery wiped out his 2019 season, and his rehabilitation in 2020 was delayed by the pandemic. The Dodgers are counting on Knebel to rebound in 2021 to his previous performance as a shutdown closer.
For the next step of the rebuild, the team re-signed 32-year old right-hander Blake Treinen to a two-year contract, rewarding him for a very good 2020 season. His 3.86 ERA was not exceptional, but that stat is not the best for evaluating relievers. The Dodgers liked his rate of ground balls (64%), below-average exit velocity from opposing hitters (85 mph), and only 1.3% of balls hit were ‘barreled.’
(Photo credit – Tom Pennington)
Knebel and Treinen will join veterans Dylan Floro, Tony Gonsolin, Brusdar Graterol, Kenley Jansen, and Joe Kelly to form an imposing group of right-handed relievers. Also competing for bullpen spots are 31-year old right-handers Jimmy Nelson and 36-year old right-hander Brandon Morrow, who were signed to minor league contracts with invitations to spring training. And there is an outside chance that power right-hander Tommy Kahnle, who is also recovering from Tommy John surgery, might be ready to contribute late in the season.
Then, there are the young relievers Gonsolin, Andre Jackson, Dennis Santana, Josh Sborz, and Mitchell White pushing their way into bullpen consideration.
The Dodgers have not yet replaced power left-handers Caleb Ferguson and Jake McGee for the bullpen; only Scott Alexander, Victor Gonzalez, Adam Kolarek return from 2020. The team acquired 26-year old lefty Garrett Cleavinger from the Philadelphia Phillies, a power pitcher with a long history of command issues. Free-agent lefties Jake McGee and Justin Wilson are still looking for jobs and if signed by the Dodgers, would likely result in Cleavinger being DFA.
Another lefty looking for work is old friend Tony Cingrani, who has not pitched competitively since undergoing left shoulder surgery in June 2019. If Tony is 100% healthy, signing him to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training could be worthwhile for the team and the pitcher.
Who will close for the Dodgers in 2021? This is a question to be answered in spring training and continuing into the regular season. Jansen is no longer guaranteed the position, and it is his to lose after a so-so 2020 regular season and an awful postseason that saw Urías close out the World Series in Game-6. There will also be an interesting dynamic in play during the 2020 season, with Jansen and Knebel pitching in their free-agent walk years. That competition could pay big dividends for the Dodgers.
(Photo credit – Tom Pennington)
The Dodgers bullpen is in good shape for the upcoming season, but don’t be surprised if they further bolster that roster area either through free agency with another left-hander and possibly another right-hander, as Trevor Rosenthal, Shane Greene, and Jeremy Jeffress are still on the market if the Dodgers can trade Joe Kelly or Dylan Floro.
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I believe that with the stable of pitchers that Friedman currently has (with more likely on the way), the word “starter” will become obsolete and replaced with the word “opener.” He did this more than anyone else in 2020 (or so it seemed), and I believe that this will be the wave of the future in MLB.
It is a sad time for us baseball traditionalists (i.e., ‘old guys’), but “It is what it is,” as kids today like to say.
Play Ball!
Great point. I do think Friedman runs the risk of alienating pitchers like Kershaw, Buehler, Urias, May, et al if they consistently consider them to be nothing more than openers. I believe that Kenta Maeda asked out of LA because of the way he was used, often being pulled by Roberts relatively early in games, and perhaps a reason why Ryu did not return.
Maeda was disgruntled because he had incentives in his contract tied to starts and innings. Once they relegated him to the bullpen with occasional spot starts, he was upset, and rightfully so.
Excellent point. But, I also read several times, how upset Maeda was when Roberts removed him from games in middle innings even though he was pitching well. I also observed on many occasions Roberts talking with Kenta (through the interpreter) after removing him in the middle of an inning; Maeda’s body language and facial expressions were those of a very unhappy player. Maeda was used to pitching deep into games in the NPB, averaging 7 IP per start, but as a Dodger he averaged 5.5 IP in his first season (2016), followed by 5.0, 5.4, and 5.2. Of course, pulling him early also impacted his annual compensation. For the Twins last season Maeda averaged 6.1 IP with a 2.70 ERA.
Lots of potential fits here. Kinda the “throw sh*t at the wall and see what sticks approach.
Pitching strategy optimization will continue to evolve. It’s strange to me that starters get a routine, exhaust themselves every 5th day, and can sometimes hit 200 innings in a season. While relievers get no routine, deliver 15-30 max efforts pitches and maybe hit 60-70 innings. I believe there will be a coming middle ground of both openers and relievers who pitch 2-3 innings on a schedule.
2-3 innings every 3rd game would be 100-150 innings per year, right between present relievers and starters.
I hope you are wrong about openers/relievers. When I watch a game I want to see pitchers like Buehler and Kershaw throw 6 innings (or more) rather than 3 innings being replaced by a Dennis Santana, Blake Treinen type pitcher. I can see where teams with lesser starting pitcher talent may want to use and opener/reliever approach, especially when they get to their no. 4 & 5 starters. Owners may like the opener/reliever approach as it will de-emphasize starters which will retard salaries.
Wonder what is harder on pitchers arms (elbows/shoulders), 32 starts per year, 6 innings/100 pitches per start, with 4 days of rest, or 54 openers, 3 innings/50 pitches, and 2 days of rest.
Marcus Semian to Toronto.
1 yr 18 mil. Now we have to go to 3 yrs for JT at least 18 per.?