2013 Los Angeles Dodgers season review: Relief pitchers

The Dodgers’ bullpen was solid, despite some hiccups this season. It was led, finally, by its elite young closer, a rookie lefty, a crafty veteran lefty and another rookie who could be in line for a larger role in 2014.

Dodger bullpen by the numbers

30-24 W-L

3.49 ERA

1.29 WHIP

8.0 H/9

0.8 HR/9

3.5 BB/9

8.6 K/9

2.42 K/BB

46 saves

Individual performers

Kenley Jansen

4-3, 1.88 ERA, 76 2/3 IP, 0.86 WHIP, 5.6 H/9, 0.7 HR/9, 2.1 BB/9, 13.0 K/9, 6.17 K/BB, 190 ERA+, 28 saves

- Jansen was, once again, dominant out of the Dodgers’ bullpen. He also, once again, had to take the closer job from an inferior pitcher for the second year in a row. Jansen mixed in his slider a bit more this season, but he lived off his plus-plus cutter and is one of the best relievers in the game.

Grade: A

Ronald Belisario

5-7, 3.97 ERA, 68 IP, 1.47 WHIP, 9.5 H/9, 0.4 HR/9, 3.7 BB/9, 6.5 K/9, 1.75 K/BB, 90 ERA+, 1 save

- Belisario might have the second-nastiest pitch in the Dodger bullpen. His mid-90s sinker is devastating -- when he can control it. There were stretches in 2013 when he controlled it well, but he also got hit around a bit. He was better in the middle of the season than he was at the beginning or end (either from overuse or general ineffectiveness). He was overtaken by a young pitcher who’s two spots down on this list.

Grade: C-

J.P. Howell

4-1, 2.03 ERA, 62 IP, 1.05 WHIP, 6.1 H/9, 0.3 HR/9, 3.3 BB/9, 7.8 K/9, 2.35 K/BB, 176 ERA+

- Howell was an under-the-radar signing, and it paid off greatly for the Dodgers. Howell was hell on lefties and pretty good against right-handed hitters, too. That versatility should help him land a 3-year deal on the free agent market -- hopefully from the Dodgers.

Grade: B+

Paco Rodriguez

3-4, 2.32 ERA, 54 1/3 IP, 0.90 WHIP, 5.0 H/9, 0.8 HR/9, 3.1 BB/9, 10.4 K/9, 3.32 K/BB, 154 ERA+, 2 saves

- Rodriguez was one of the Dodgers’ best relievers for a majority of the season, but overuse led to a poor September and October. Still, Rodriguez is a big part of the bullpen going forward and Don Mattingly’s willingness to trust a young guy was refreshing to see.

Grade: B+

Brandon League

6-4, 5.30 ERA, 54 1/3 IP, 1.55 WHIP, 11.4 H/9, 1.3 HR/9, 2.5 BB/9, 4.6 K/9, 1.87 K/BB, 68 ERA+, 14 saves

- League began the 2013 campaign as the Dodgers’ closer. He got off to a good start before imploding on an epic level. Initially, I like the deal to bring him back. Of course, I thought we were getting the good League, not the horrifically bad one. He’s still owed $15 million over the next two years. Barring a bold DFA, he’ll be back. Hopefully he’s no more than a mop-up guy.

Grade: F

Chris Withrow

3-0, 2.60 ERA, 34 2/3 IP, 0.95 WHIP, 5.2 H/9, 1.3 HR/9, 3.4 BB/9, 11.2 K/9, 3.31 K/BB, 138

ERA+, 1 save

- Withrow’s recall was somewhat surprising, but he took full advantage of his first big-league action. A failed starter in the minors, Withrow thrived out of the bullpen and laid claim to late-inning, high-leverage work for the Dodgers. The only issue I see is his home run rate. He gave up five homers in 34 2/3 innings. That needs to come down. Despite that, he could be Jansen’s setup man for many years to come with a mid-90s fastball and two breaking pitches that are -- at times -- plus-offerings.

Grade: A-

Matt Guerrier

2-3, 4.80 ERA, 30 IP, 1.47 WHIP, 9.6 H/9, 0.9 HR/9, 3.6 BB/9, 6.3 K/9, 1.75 K/BB, 75

ERA+

- Guerrier was, mercifully, in the last year of an inexplicable 3-year contract, and he performed about as expected -- poorly. He was so bad that he was actually traded to the Cubs for the next guy on this list and international spending money -- a net win for the Dodgers. At no time this season was he a reliable option and eventually needed surgery.

Grade: F

Carlos Marmol

0-0, 2.53 ERA, 21 1/3 IP, 1.55 WHIP, 5.9 H/9, 0.4 HR/9, 8.0 BB/9, 11.4 K/9, 1.42 K/BB, 143

ERA+

- Marmol gonna Marmol. He struck out his fair share of batters, but he also walked his fair share. Not much was expected when he was acquired, but at least he wasn’t God-awful for the Dodgers. Rightfully, the team didn’t trust him in high-leverage situations.

Grade: C

Brian Wilson

2-1, 0.66 ERA, 13 2/3 IP, 0.88 WHIP, 5.3 H/9, 0.0 HR/9, 2.6 BB/9, 8.6 K/9, 3.25 K/BB, 556

ERA+

- Wilson’s signing was a low-risk, high-reward proposition for the Dodgers (and himself) -- and it appeared to pay off for both. Wilson was great in limited time, continued that to the playoffs and it should result in a multiyear deal to close. If not, I’d love for the Dodgers to bring him back to set up Jansen.

Grade: A

The rest

Jose Dominguez, Grade: B

Onelki Garcia, Grade: INC

Javy Guerra, Grade: D

Peter Moylan, Grade: D-

Skip Schumaker, Grade: C (Because he touched 91 MPH on the gun)

Shawn Tolleson, Grade: INC

Josh Wall, Grade: D- (Because he was the fall guy for a couple games)

Photo credits: Dustin Nosler, Feelin' Kinda Blue

Podcast: 'Dugout Blues' episode 46 - Dodgers, Marmol, Ramirez, Pederson

On this episode of "Dugout Blues," Jared Massey (Dodger Diamond) talk about the Dodgers and their new winning ways. It's much more fun to talk and write about this team when things are going well.

The Dodgers swung a trade with the Cubs for Carlos Marmol (using Matt Guerrier), which doesn't sound great on the surface. However, the Dodgers got international spending money in the deal, which does sound great.

Jose Dominguez, despite a rough outing on Wednesday, made an impressive MLB debut on Sunday.

Hanley Ramirez is on fire and is carrying the team as much as Yasiel Puig is. Maybe it's time to start a campaign for him to go to New York for the All-Star Game.

Luis Cruz is now an ex-Dodger and, somehow, landed a 25-man roster spot with the Yankees.

Joc Pederson will represent the Dodgers at the Futures Game. He'll also go to the Southern League All-Star Game along with Yimi Garcia, Zach Lee, Hector Nelo, Ross Stripling, Luis Vazquez and Rafael Ynoa. Rob Rasmussen also got the nod, but he won't play in the game because he's in Triple-A.

Blake Smith is now a pitcher. I'm trying to get an interview with him to give us his reaction. He's struggled at the plate this season.

Plus, there's a draft and international signing update.

Libsyn link
Direct link
iTunes link

Look for new episodes of "Dugout Blues" every Wednesday. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and review us on iTunes. We want to make this the best podcast we can so we're always looking for suggestions and ways to improve.

If you have questions you'd like us to answer or certain topics/players you want to hear more about, feel free to email us (ladugout@gmail.com or feelinkindablue@gmail.com) or send us messages on Twitter (@Dodger_Diamond or @FeelinKindaBlue). You can also "Like" the podcast on Facebook. We always welcome audience participation.

Image credit: Joe Martin

Breaking down Dodgers' prospect Matt Magill's surprisingly good MLB debut

Matt Magill was pretty good in his Major League debut on Saturday night. It was (presumably) a game seen by more people than normal because it was televised on MLB Network, and Magill didn't disappoint.

• His line: 6 2/3 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, 101 pitches, 73 strikes

Seriously, we couldn't have asked for anything more. He was in line for the win before Matt Guerrier did his best Todd Worrell impression, but that's what the Dodgers get for having Guerrier on the roster. But I digress.

There were some interesting takeaways from Magill's outing.

Data courtesy of Brooks Baseball

I thought Magill was throwing a lot of first-pitch sliders. It seems my assumption was correct.

He threw first-pitch sliders to right-handers, but also threw significantly more of them against left-handers than the average right-hander.

Something else to note from this data is how much he relied on his fastball to get left-handed hitters out. Every time he was ahead of a lefty in the count, he threw a fastball.

And he only threw four changeups -- all of which were against lefties.

This next chart shows  how effective his pitches were.

Click to enlarge

Magill got the Brewer hitters to swing through his fastball 15 percent of the time. Not bad for lacking elite velocity. He also got called strikes on the pitch at the same rate. Brewer hitters swung at more than half of Magill's fastballs (53.3 percent). This will come into focus later in the piece.

His slider got similar a swing rate (53.3 to 53.8 percent), but more than half the swings-and-misses his fastball did (15 percent to 7.7 percent). Magill's slider is supposed to be his strikeout pitch, so that's something to keep an eye on going forward. However, he did get significantly more groundballs with his slider than he fastball (20.5 to 3.3 percent).

Magill was basically a two-pitch pitcher on Saturday, and here are the results.

Click to enlarge

All the hitting damage done against Magill was via the slider (and all were singles). Brewer hitters weren't able to square up his fastball enough to get a base hit. Magill's two walks came via the fastball, so the pitch wasn't perfect.

His slider looked to be a little loopy at times, but he tightened it up late in his appearance. The one-strike slider he threw to Jean Segura -- his 102nd pitch of the night -- was probably his best offering.

However, his fastball was pretty damn good. He got all seven of his strikeouts via the fastball and didn't allow a hit. For throwing the pitch 58 percent of the time, that's actually saying something.

Unfortunately for Magill, he's probably headed back to Albuquerque. But after his solid debut, he'll be heard from again -- hopefully not too soon, though.

Photo credit: Courtesy of Evan Chavez, I Bleed Dodger Blue 2

Dodgers sign Brandon League to 3-year deal, not the end of the world

No matter the similarities in the length and money, the Dodgers signing Brandon League to nearly the same deal Juan Uribe got is actually not a bad thing.

The team signed the veteran right-handed reliever to a 3-year, $22.5 million contract on Tuesday with a vesting option for 2016.

It really isn't the end of the world, despite what you may have read on Twitter. I will say isn't preferable to give a reliever three years, but don't go jumping off any bridges just quite yet.

We all knew this was coming, but there are worse ways to spend $22.5 million (not many, but see Uribe, Juan).

I've written about bringing back League on a couple of occasions (Oct. 9, Saturday).

League will apparently be the Dodgers' closer (with that type of money, I don't know why I was surprised). But this also raises the question: Are the Dodgers not sold on Kenley Jansen's long-term health?

Jansen had his heart procedure last week and is doing great. However, if the Dodgers don't think they can rely on him consistently, I understand the need to bring League back.

Money is obviously no object for this ownership group. While this deal is a Ned Colletti special, they gave him $10 million more than Matt Guerrier (younger, better pitcher, makes sense). This deal will not hamper the Dodgers' ability to add players down the road -- but it isn't a particularly good business practice to continue, either.

The Dodgers now have nine free agents, none of whom I especially I want to see back. I wouldn't be opposed to Randy Choate coming back, but everyone else can go elsewhere.

Photo credit: swswigart, Flickr

Dodgers discussing 3-year deal with Brandon League, because why not?

Earlier this month, I said the Dodgers should look to re-sign Brandon League. It had been reported the Dodgers were looking to do that and, as Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times reports, the Dodgers are discussing a 3-year deal with League.

Who didn't see that coming?

Here's what I wrote on Oct. 9:

"Knowing Colletti, he'll give League a 3-year deal (if Matt Guerrier got it, why not League?). I'd be more OK with League getting the deal, but I wouldn't be signing Colletti's praises, either."

My opinion hasn't changed. If League can maintain a strikeout rate close to what he did with the Dodgers (8.9), it could be a solid deal. That's a big "if," though, as League has only averaged a K/9 better than 6.8 once in his career (2009).

If the deal goes down, I don't see this being another Matt Guerrier deal. League at least has an electric arm and a good career groundball rate. Guerrier was just a run-of-the-mill middle reliever who, somehow, got a 3-year deal.

Unfortunately, the team also wants to bring back Jamey Wright, which makes no sense. The offseason is almost upon us.

Photo credit: swswigart, Flickr

2012 Los Angeles Dodgers Season Review: Bullpen

The Dodgers had a pretty good bullpen this season. Aside from a higher-than-desired walks per nine rate, the group was better than last season.

Dodgers' bullpen by the numbers
30-20 W-L
3.23 ERA
1.26 WHIP
7.2 H/9
0.7 HR/9
4.1 BB/9
8.8 K/9
2.14 K/BB
40 saves

Individual Performers

Ronald Belisario
8-1, 2.54 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 6.0 H/9, 0.4 HR/9, 3.7 BB/9, 8.7 K/9, 3.09 FIP, 1 save
- Belisario, who didn't pitch at all in 2012, started this season by being suspended for 25 games. Obviously, that had no negative impact on his performance as he was the Dodgers' second-most reliable reliever. Despite an ERA half a run higher than his 2009 performance, he actually pitched better in 2012. And to think, I actually questioned the Dodgers giving Belisario another shot.
Grade: A

Randy Choate
0-0, 4.05 ERA, 1.65 WHIP, 8.8 H/9, 0.7 HR/9, 6.1 BB/9, 7.4 K/9
- Choate was acquired in the Hanley Ramirez deal and filled a need for the Dodgers. His performance as a Dodger was just "meh." He was the true definition of a LOOGY, as he appeared in 36 games for the Dodgers but threw just 13 1/3 innings. He walked too many hitters (nine, included three intentionally) and gave up too many hits. However, I wouldn't be opposed to the team bringing him back.
Grade: C

Todd Coffey
1-0, 4.66 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 7.9 H/9, 0.5 HR/9, 4.2 BB/9, 8.4 K/9, 3.61 FIP
- Coffey was a late signing and I didn't really understand it at the time. He got off to a rough start, but he really turned it on in June, allowing just two hits and no runs in 8 2/3 innings. In Coffey's first July outing, he gave up two runs in 2/3 of an inning. It would also be his last outing of the season as he would suffer a torn ulnar collateral ligament and need Tommy John surgery.
Grade: C

Scott Elbert
1-1, 2.20 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 7.4 H/9, 0.8 HR/9, 3.6 BB/9, 8.0 K/9, 3.80 FIP
- Elbert was a solid performer out of the Dodgers' bullpen for the second year in a row. He was the only left-hander until the team acquired Choate in July. Elbert's 2.20 ERA was better than 2011 (2.43), but a few of his peripherals weren't as good. His FIP was up more than a point and his K/9 dropped by 1.2. He injured his elbow late in the season and had surgery. Thankfully, it wasn't Tommy John.
Grade: B

Javy Guerra
2-3, 2.60 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, 8.8 H/9, 0.2 HR/9, 4.6 BB/9, 7.4 K/9, 3.34 FIP, 8 saves
- Guerra started the season as the team's closer and got off to a quick start. However, he struggled and was ousted from the role. He also spent time on the disabled list this season. Despite all that, he was somewhat effective for the Dodgers this season. His WHIP was 30 points higher than last season due to a higher hits per nine and walks per nine. He'll need to get a handle on that going forward.
Grade: C+

Matt Guerrier
0-2, 3.86 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 5.1 H/9, 1.9 HR/9, 4.5 BB/9, 5.8 K/9, 6.31 FIP
- Guerrier hit the disabled list for the first time in his career in 2012. Fitting, considering the Dodgers foolishly signed him to a 3-year contract prior to the 2011 season. When he did pitch, however, he was relatively ineffective, as he walked seven and gave up three home runs in 14 innings. He's set to make $3.75 million this season, so he isn't going anywhere.
Grade: D+

Kenley Jansen
5-3, 2.35 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, 4.6 H/9, 0.8 HR/9, 3.0 BB/9, 13.7 K/9, 2.40 FIP,  25 saves
- Jansen, as he did last season, dominated out of the bullpen. Unfortunately, like last season, missed time with a heart issue. That's pretty much the only blemish on his record. Aside from a late-August blemish against Colorado, Jansen was nails in the second half. Early on, I wondered if Jansen's decreased velocity was something to be concerned about. Judging by the results, I'd say no. But it is interesting to note his velocity was down 1.4 MPH from 2011.
Grade: A

Brandon League
2-1, 2.30 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 5.6 H/9, 0.0 HR/9, 4.6 BB/9, 8.9 K/9, 6 saves
- League was quite valuable for the Dodgers down the stretch, filling in for the injured Jansen as the Dodger closer. The only area where he struggled was the walks. He'll need to bring that down no matter where he ends up. While I wasn't a fan of the trade at the time, I recently penned a post saying the Dodgers should re-sign the hard-throwing righty.
Grade: A-

Josh Lindblom
2-2, 3.02 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 7.9 H/9, 1.7 HR/9, 3.4 BB/9, 8.1 K/9
- Before he was traded to Philadelphia, Lindblom was sharing setup man duties with Belisario. Aside from the inordinate number of home runs allowed, Lindblom pitched well in the role. If there's one position the Dodgers can afford to trade, it's right-handed relievers.
Grade: B-

Shawn Tolleson
3-1, 4.30 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 7.2 H/9, 1.0 HR/9, 4.8 BB/9, 9.3 K/9, 4.08 FIP
- Tolleson made an inauspicious debut, walking the first two batters he would ever face (on 10 pitches). But he still managed to be a serviceable middle reliever for the Dodgers. He was able to strike out more than a batter per inning, but he has to refine his control and command. The Dodgers will need him to take the next step. He profiles as a better reliever than Lindblom, so that shouldn't be too hard for him.
Grade: C+

Jamey Wright
5-3, 3.72 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, 9.6 H/9, 0.3 HR/9, 4.0 BB/9, 7.2 K/9, 3.39 FIP
- Wright was a non-roster invitee and, as he had the seven previous seasons, made a big league roster. For who he is and what he brings, he pitched a hell of a lot better than anyone could have expected. Still, he wasn't exactly getting the ball in the ninth inning of a close game. At least he kept the ball in the yard, though. The Dodgers have said they want to bring back their free agent relievers, but I'm hoping that doesn't include Wright.
Grade: C

The rest

Rubby De La Rosa, Grade: INC
John Ely, Grade: INC
Mike MacDougal, Grade: F
Paco Rodriguez, Grade: B+
Josh Wall, Grade: INC

Photo credit: Dustin Nosler, Feelin' Kinda Blue

The Dodgers should seriously entertain re-signing Brandon League

When the Dodgers traded for Brandon League, I wasn't impressed. League came from Seattle as about as mediocre as one could be. Yet, his performance as a Dodger was surprising and actually, good.

League pitched so well with the Dodgers that I wouldn't mind him being re-signed.

The Dodgers traded Leon Landry and Logan Bawcom to get League, which I wasn't happy about at the time. In hindsight, it wasn't as bad as expected, but I'm still not a fan of trading for veteran relievers midsesason.

League's Dodger career started off shaky as he allowed six runs in his first five innings. But after bullpen coach Ken Howell corrected a mechanical flaw, League was filthy. In 22 1/3 innings, League had a 0.40 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, .114 BAA and averaged nearly a strikeout per inning.

League made $5 million this season and he should easily be able to get that on the open market. The question is: will the Dodgers -- more specifically, Ned Colletti -- give it to him?

All signs point to "yes." From the L.A. Times:

"Colletti wants to re-sign the Dodgers relievers who will be free agents: closer Brandon League, right-hander Jamey Wright and left-hander Randy Choate."

League and Choate, yes. Wright, no. But we'll get to that in another post.

So, it seems the Dodgers have interest in bringing him back. And League has interest in returning.

"'This is definitely somewhere I'd like to play, but it's not up to me. We'll see what happens.'"

With Kenley Jansen set to undergo heart surgery soon, there's no iron-clad guarantee he'll be back for 2013. I mean, it is heart surgery after all (but most expect him to be just fine). Having a guy like League could be beneficial.

Make no mistake: Jansen is the Dodgers' closer if he's healthy. But League could be an important cog as a setup man. His mid-90s fastball and the ability to get groundballs (59.5 percent for his career) is a good combination.

Knowing Colletti, he'll give League a 3-year deal (if Matt Guerrier got it, why not League?). I'd be more OK with League getting the deal, but I wouldn't be signing Colletti's praises, either.

With Josh Lindblom in Philadelphia and Javy Guerra an inconsistent option in the late innings, re-signing League might be near the top of the winter "To Do" list.

Like League said above: We'll see what happens.

Photo credit: swswigart, Flickr

The Isotopes are about to get stronger, courtesy of the Dodgers

The Albuquerque Isotopes are about to get a lot stronger, and it's not necessarily a bad thing for the Dodgers.

Obviously getting the potential league MVP back is always a plus, but it also allows the Dodgers to give the young-ins the appropriate playing time -- in Triple-A.

Matt Kemp and Juan Rivera at set to make rehab appearances there Sunday and Monday, it means a flurry of roster moves are set to take place.

Kemp can come off the disabled list on May 29; Rivera can be activated at any time.

Jerry Hairston is playing his last rehab game there tonight and will likely take the place of Justin Sellers, who's leg will probably cause him to take his obligatory turn on the 15-day DL. At this rate, it seems as if every Dodger position player will spend some time on the DL this season.

Have fun in New Mexico, Scott.

With Kemp and Rivera coming back, the two most likely candidates to pack their bags are Scott Van Slyke and Jerry Sands.

Van Slyke, despite Sunday night's heroics, is 3-for-18 (.167) in his first 11 big league games. Sands is sitting at 4-for-16 (.250) in six games.

It's been nice to see the funky lineups Don Mattingly has to come up with in the wake of these injuries, but guys like Van Slyke and Sands should be playing every day -- no matter what level of professional baseball. Sitting on the bench isn't going to do either of them any good.

Yes, it sucks that Rivera is going to take the spot of a potentially more talented player, but that's what happens when a guy like that is signed to a $4.5 million deal.

The 'Topes have played .500 ball since losing Van Slyke to the Dodgers on May 9. The offense is filled with a bunch of Four-A players (Josh Fields, Jeff Baisley, Luis Cruz) and older, not-so-good prospects (Brian Cavazos-Galvez, Matt Angle, Tyler Henson). Albuquerque should welcome back these two thumpers with open arms.

But it's nice for them -- especially Van Slyke -- to get a taste of the majors in preparation for another assignment or a September call-up.

#####

My latest piece at Chad Moriyama is on another former Isotope who should be safe from a demotion, for now.

"When Elian Herrera was recalled to the Dodgers more than a week ago, I’m sure almost no one, besides maybe Christopher Jackson of the Albuquerque Examiner, knew who he was.

Now, after eight games, he’s making his mark on an injury-riddled team and he might not be the one taking the first flight back to Albuquerque when the rest of the infield gets healthy (starting potentially with Jerry Hairston, Jr. this weekend). He has a .346/.393/.462 line in those eight games, and while there’s absolutely no way he keeps that kind of production up, he’s off to a nice start in the majors."

#####

From Ken Gurnick at Dodgers.com: Matt Guerrier has been shut down, which means we get to see more of Todd Coffey. However, it might not be too long as Blake Hawksworth (remember him?) is getting closer to a return.Well, at least he'll pitch against real competition for the first time since last season.

Guerrier is experiencing pain in his elbow, which originally landed him on the DL. Hawksworth is still in Arizona at Camelback Ranch and recovering from two elbow surgeries.

Mark Ellis, poor guy, had another emergency surgery on his leg after it became swollen. The initial prognosis was six weeks, but I'd be shocked if Ellis is back any time before September. Perhaps I'm being pessimistic, but he's gone through a lot for a seemingly innocuous play.

Photo credit: EephusBlue

Elbert, Guerra among Dodgers' bullpen worries

Coming into the season, I thought the Dodgers' bullpen was going to be a strength for the team. I even made fun of the Cleveland Indian broadcast team during Spring Training when it said the bullpen would be a "huge question mark."

"Indian broadcasters said Dodger bullpen will be "a huge question mark." It's one of the strongest parts of the team, if not the strongest."

Boy, was I wrong.

There have been some strong parts of the bullpen (Josh Lindblom and Kenley Jansen), but the rest of it has been, what the broadcasters said, a huge question mark.

The bullpen blew another game today when it lost to the Cubs 4-3 in 11 innings. The Dodgers had a 3-2 lead going into the bottom of the ninth, but for the third time this season, Javy Guerra blew a save. Jamey Wright went on to get the "L" in extra innings.

The Dodgers actually made a somewhat positive move this week, designating Mike MacDougal for assignment (replacing him with Ronald Belisario), but that can't fix all the problems.

While Guerra is the easiest target because he's the closer, I've been even more disappointed in Scott Elbert.

Elbert really came into his own last season, posting a 2.43 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 9.2 K/9. He was a guy Don Mattingly could rely on out of the bullpen. This season, however, Elbert's been flat-out bad: 6.75 ERA, 2.25 WHIP, 16.2 H/9 and has given up two home runs in 6 2/3 innings.

Elbert was supposed to be one of the young guns out of the 'pen, but instead, he's been a liability. This is concerning because Elbert has thrown in mostly low-leverage situations, meaning he's been unsuccessful when the pressure hasn't been that great.

And being the only lefty out of the 'pen, Elbert needs to find his mojo quickly, as he's far too talented to be pitching as poorly as he has this season.

Matt Guerrier

Guerra is not without fault. Basically everyone was worried about regression with Guerra, but he came out and was damn good in his first six appearances: 0.00 ERA, 0.67 WHIP, .125 BAA and 5-for-5 in save opportunities. Since that time, he's been awful (there's no other way to put it).

It's not known if he's dealing with an injury, but his velocity would suggest he isn't. Guerra is averaging 93.4 MPH on his fastball, compared to 94 MPH last year. His slider is being thrown at the same velocity as 2011 (88.7 MPH). But he is throwing his fastball nearly 11 percent more than last season (61.5 percent to 72.1 percent). Chad Moriyama thinks that might be a problem.

No matter what the issue is, Guerra just hasn't been getting the job done. While he pitches mostly in high-leverage situations, he's been just fine when he's in low-leverage situations. Hence, a move to middle relief with Jansen and Lindblom taking over the eighth- and ninth innings might be in order.

This doesn't mean Todd Coffey and Jamey Wright are immune to the criticism -- they've been equally bad in their own right. Matt Guerrier, despite being on the disabled list, hasn't been that bad (despite a 0.8 K/BB ratio). Would Ned Colletti venture into the trade market to "fix" the bullpen?

Joel Hanrahan

We know Colletti has gotten himself in trouble trading for relievers before (Danys Baez, George Sherrill and Octavio Dotel come to mind). But if the Dodgers do explore the trade route, Joel Hanrahan might be a guy to go after.

Hanrahan, a former Dodger top prospect, has been great with Pittsburgh the last two seasons. He's a free agent after the 2013 season, so the Dodgers would have to give up something of value for him. Plus, despite the bullpen struggles, the Dodgers would still need to acquire a bat before July 31 if they're still in contention. The Dodgers might want to hold onto prospects to land a bat. That's where Shawn Tolleson comes into play.

Tolleson is dominating minor-league hitting and has been since becoming a professional. It's about time for the Dodgers to give him a chance. The bullpen is jammed up, but losing Belisario, Wright or Coffey wouldn't exactly be big losses.

In an ideal world, Jansen, who's pitched almost exclusively in the eighth inning, would be available to throw when the Dodgers need their best reliever in the game (not necessarily in the ninth inning). But relegating him to closer duties would eliminate using him in the seventh- or eighth inning when a tying run might be on the third base with less than two outs.

It's a double-edged sword. One thing's for sure -- Guerra needs to stop getting the ball in high-leverage situations. He needs to get his mechanics figured out or whatever it is that's preventing him from being successful. He's a major cog in the Dodgers' bullpen and needs to start pitching as such.

Photo credits

Guerrier: Cbl62 (Wikimedia Commons)

Hanrahan: Picasa Web Albums, UC International (Wikimedia Commons)

Bryce Harper to make MLB debut against the Dodgers, plus other news

It's not often baseball's best prospect makes his debut against the Dodgers -- and that's exactly what's going to happen tomorrow at the latest.


Bryce Harper was recalled by the Nationals today when their best player, Ryan Zimmerman, was placed on the 15-day disabled list.

Harper, the 2010 No. 1 overall pick, has two "80" grades, according to Baseball America. His power is unquestioned and he has a howitzer for a right arm.

Harper played predominantly catcher in college, but he'll play the outfield in the majors. He was thought to be the Nationals' future right fielder, but they're reportedly going to see if he can stick in center field, which increases his already sky-high value.

Luckily for him, he's going to miss tonight's game against Clayton Kershaw. As a left-handed batter, making his debut against Kershaw would have been most difficult. He should be int he Nats' lineup tomorrow against Chad Billingsley.

#####

The Dodgers called up a top prospect of their own, officially. Nathan Eovaldi, who has thrown two innings total in his last two starts, replaces Michael Antonini on the Dodgers' roster. Antonini replaced Matt Guerrier, who went on the disabled list. Antonini, however, didn't throw a pitch for the Dodgers. He was sent back to Triple-A Albuquerque.

Eovaldi will pitch out of the bullpen for now, as the rotation is set, despite Aaron Harang's sore foot.

I really, really hope the Dodgers still give him a chance to develop as a starter. At best, he could be a No. 2, but a No. 3 starter is a a lot more realistic (and so is a No. 4 starter). And a potential No. 3 starter is a lot more valuable than any relief pitcher.

#####

The Dodgers come into this Nationals' series losing two of their last three series against two of the top projected teams in the National League (Brewers and Braves). And the Nats are no slouch, sitting at 14-5 and the best record in the league. It'll be interesting to see how the Dodgers fare in this series. Kershaw vs. Ross Detwiler tonight, Chad Billingsley vs. Stephen Strasburg tomorrow and Chris Capuano vs. Gio Gonzalez on Sunday.

Photo credit: MissChatter, Flickr

Why is Ned Colletti in a rush to sign mediocre free agents?

Since Ned Colletti was named Dodgers' general manager in late 2005, he's always been in a rush to sign free agents. One has to wonder why that is. It has cost the Dodgers a lot and is just a bad practice in general.

Here are all Colletti's major signings in November and December:

December 2005
Bill Mueller
Nomar Garciaparra
Rafael Furcal
Kenny Lofton
Brett Tomko

November 2006
Garciaparra (re-signed)
Juan Pierre
Randy Wolf

December 2006
Luis Gonzalez
Jason Schmidt

December 2007
Andruw Jones
Hiroki Kuroda

December 2008
Casey Blake (re-signed)
Furcal (re-signed)

December 2009
Jamey Carroll

November 2010
Kuroda (re-signed)
Jon Garland
Juan Uribe

December 2010
Rod Barajas
Vicente Padilla
Matt Guerrier

November 2011
Juan Rivera
Mark Ellis

December 2011
Chris Capuano
Jerry Hairston
Aaron Harang

Some of these signings were good: Furcal (both times), Garciaparra (first time), Lofton, Wolf (both times) and Kuroda (both times).

However, most of these signings were made in haste, either costing the Dodgers money by not playing the market and not playing young players or losing out to superior players. And the Dodgers haven't signed any elite players in this time period.

Colletti's refusal to trust -- or even give a legitimate chance to -- young players was apparent in 2007 and even today. In November 2006, he re-signed Garciaparra to a 2-year, $18 million contract without blinking. James Loney was fully ready to take over.

Pierre, being pursued by only the Giants in November 2006, was signed before the market could even play out. The Giants had reportedly offered him a contract in the neighborhood of $30 million over three years. Colletti, for some reason, felt compelled to give Pierre five guaranteed years and $14 million more.

Was Kenny Lofton's 2006 performance (.301/.360/.403) not good enough? It was better than anything Pierre did in his time as a Dodger, except when he was (rightfully so) a part-time player for the team in 2008. Yet, Colletti didn't even give re-signing Lofton a second thought. Curious, as Lofton was approaching age 40 and seemed to be right up Colletti's alley. I guess Pierre was more the player he was looking for. It's one of the only times Colletti has chosen a younger player instead of an older player.

With Torii Hunter, Andruw Jones, Aaron Rowand and Ichiro Suzuki all 2008 free agents (at the time of Pierre's deal -- Suzuki signed an extension with the Mariners later that season), Colletti couldn't possibly have waited for a better player? I know he eventually signed Jones (who busted) and Rowand got a ridiculous contract, but it's the principle of the matter.

The same thing happened when he signed Luis Gonzalez for the 2007 season. Ethier was ready to take over in left field, putting up a .308/.365/.477 as a rookie in 441 plate appearances. Instead, he and Kemp were forced to split time with the likes of Gonzalez and Pierre. The Dodgers won 82 games in 2007 and probably wouldn't have been much worse off getting Ethier and Kemp 500 at-bats.

I was actually on board with the Schmidt and Jones signings, so I can't be too upset about those.

However, jumping at the bit to re-sign Blake after his less-than half-season with the Dodgers was inexcusable. The Dodgers had Blake DeWitt, who, in hindsight, wasn't the greatest option, capable of playing third base until someone better came along.

The fact that he gave Blake three guaranteed years when the only team seriously in on him was the Minnesota Twins is a classic example of the market playing Colletti. It should be the other way around. Blake had a fine 2009 season, but was not great and riddled with injuries after that, which isn't exactly abnormal for a 36-year-old player.

A good -- or even somewhat competent GM -- would play the market and not get taken in by past success, irrational mistrust of young players and minimal postseason success.

Which leads us to one Juan Uribe. He was signed on Nov. 30, 2011 when there was absolutely no reason to sign a guy like that to a contract like that (3 years, $21 million). Once again, the Giants and Colletti were in competition for a bad baseball player, and the Dodgers, unfortunately, won again.

Colletti was also in such a rush to sign Guerrier that he inexplicably gave him a 3-year contract.

If that wasn't bad enough, the 2011 off-season might take the cake. We know the Dodgers weren't going to be in on Albert Pujols, but why was Colletti's priority to sign replacement-level players (Rivera, Ellis, Capuano, Harang) and guys who deserve minor-league deals only (Kennedy, Matt Treanor) over guys like Kuroda and Prince Fielder?

No one knows for sure, but Colletti's refusal to trust young players could be an explanation.

Rivera was signed when Jerry Sands is perfectly capable of taking the reins. Ellis was signed in lieu of using a combination of Ivan DeJesus and Justin Sellers. Capuano and Harang are expected to replace Kuroda's production, which likely won't happen. Those guys are decent options at the back of the rotation, but the money they're earning $6 million (total) this season -- $6 million that could have been used to re-sign Kuroda and go with a rookie (Nathan Eovaldi) or a non-roster invitee (a player who always seems to find his way onto the Dodgers).

The Dodgers have needed a real bat for years (not Jones, not J.D. Drew, etc.). Prince Fielder is available and the Dodgers don't even think twice about pursuing him. I know the ownership situation is a mess, but every guaranteed contract this off-season (save Rivera and MacDougal's) has an uneven split between 2012 and 2013.

The Dodgers have spent $18.75 million this off-season on nine players, none of whom couldn't have been replaced by minor-league talent or non-roster invitees (I'm OK with the Gwynn signing, though).

The Dodgers could have signed both Kuroda and Fielder (with deferred money, of course) and have been a better team. Instead, Fielder is still a free agent, Kuroda signed with the Yankees and the Dodgers are not any better right now (arguably worse) than they were at the end of the 2011 season.

It's easy to rip Colletti and call him a double agent (working for the Giants). We all know he isn't, but some of the moves really make you wonder. Then again, he "crafted" his trade under Brian Sabean, the undisputed king of signing over-the-hill free agents and not trusting young players.

Colletti's job hasn't been easy the last couple of years, but the misallocation of resources has never been more apparent. I mean, the Dodgers are still paying for the likes of Manny Ramirez and Jones, Kuroda's signing bonus ($1.5 million this January and $2.5 million next January) and just got done paying off deferred money and signing bonuses from Pierre's and Furcal's contracts. That, and striking out on free agents, has kept the Dodgers from being serious championship contenders.

The 2008 and 2009 squads had the talent to make it as far as the National League Championship Series. Running into a hot Phillies' team both years didn't help, but having the ability to add a key piece (Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay, etc.) would have gone a long way to bringing a championship back to Los Angeles.

Prince Fielder is ripe for the Dodgers' taking

Here we are on Dec. 29 and one of the biggest (no pun intended) free agents of this off-season is still available.

Prince Fielder has yet to sign, even following Albert Pujols' record contract (I know it isn't the largest contract of all-time, but I'm sure it's record-setting in some way). Recent reports said he might be willing to settle for a 3-year deal, but those were quickly shot down by his agent, Scott Boras.

But why is Fielder really still available? I'm not 100 percent sure, but I'm going to give it my best shot.

Well, teams are obviously concerned with giving a man of his carriage a long-term, big-money deal. But the numbers do not lie. Fielder is one of the game's best power-hitters and is not incapable of hitting left-handed pitching.

Since his first full season in 2008, Fielder, 27, has 228 home runs and a .541 slugging percentage. He also has a .391 on-base percentage in that time. The man is a productive hitter.

His splits against lefties for his career are solid -- .257/.340/.458 -- but he's been much better against them in recent years, including a .943 OPS in 2009 and .822 OPS last season.

Fielder doesn't just mash at Miller Park, either. His career home/road splits are as follows:

Home: .286/.399/.566, 123 HR in 504 games
Road: .279/.381/.515, 107 HR in 494 games

And for all the concerns about his weight, he's yet to play fewer than 157 games in a full season (save his 2005 debut season). That's in the NL, without the designated hitter at first base -- Not many players in the Majors can make that claim, let alone a beefy first baseman.

It appears Fielder is a perfect fit in Los Angeles for a number of reasons:

1. The Dodgers need a power hitter
2. He is good friends with Matt Kemp and Tony Gwynn
3. His home/road splits are not drastic

If the Dodgers have any chance of signing him, it'd be because of No. 2. Having familiar faces in a place where the ownership situation is far from settled could be comforting to Fielder. If he sees Kemp just signed a long-term extension, he might feel better about committing five, six or seven years to the organization.

The Dodgers would obviously have to backload any Fielder contract. As pointed out by Twitter follower senor_penguino, it might not be as difficult as some would expect:

"Backload a 5 yr deal. 13 yr 1 24 yr 2-5. Lets him be a FA @ 32."

2012: $13 million
2013 through 2016: $24 million per season

Editor's note (Dec. 29, 1 p.m.): For a deal to even have a chance, the Dodgers would likely have to add an extra guaranteed year at $24 million, making it a 6-year, $133 million deal. I'd also include a couple option years.

It makes a lot of sense (too much sense to happen, unfortunately). But where do the Dodgers find an extra $13 million in the 2012 payroll? The Dodgers would obviously have to find a taker for James Loney and his estimated $6-to-$7-million contract. Finding a team to take all that money could be a a problem, but the Dodgers could at least shed half of that contract in a trade.

Juan Uribe's $8 million contract for 2012 is an albatross the Dodgers won't be able to rid themselves of, unless Brian Sabean comes calling with nostalgic memories of 2010. Juan Rivera's $4 million deal is looking absolutely horrible right now, especially since none of it is deferred.

Matt Guerrier will make $3.75 million as a mediocre middle reliever -- a role that could have been filled with a non-roster invitee on the veteran's minimum or a young guy making the Major League minimum.

Chad Billingsley's $9 million salary could be moved, but that would just create a hole in the starting rotation.

Ted Lilly's $10.5 million cannot be moved without his permission (full no-trade clause -- thanks Ned!) and the Dodgers don't appear interested in trading Andre Ethier and his estimated $11-to-$13-million deal (arbitration). A 3-4-5 of Kemp-Fielder-Ethier would be the best Dodger trio in a few years.

Despite the ownership issues and the Dodgers having no money to spend on big-name free agents this off-season, it seems past moves have hindered the Dodgers even more. Billingsley's deal was good (still is), but the money from the other deals (save Ethier's) mentioned above could have helped the Dodgers land Fielder with few questions. And the Dodgers likely wouldn't have been any better or worse as a team without Rivera, Uribe, Guerrier and Lilly.

But here we are. It's Dec. 29, one of the best free agents is still available who fills the Dodgers' needs almost perfectly and they are merely an afterthought in the Fielder sweepstakes.

Unless something drastic happens before March, it looks like it could be a long 2012 season.

Matt Guerrier vs. Jesse Crain and why the Dodgers chose wrong

I haven't bitched about Matt Guerrier for a while, so I figure it's time (you're next, Juan Uribe).

Everyone and their mother was surprised when the Dodgers signed Guerrier to a 3-year, $12 million deal. Needless to say, I was not a fan.

"On the surface, Guerrier looks like a decent pickup. Then you factor in his age (32), the number of games pitched (most in baseball after Pedro Feliciano) and his low K/9 rate (5.9 for his career) and it isn't a great deal.

And most of all, the contract. Why on God's green earth is Guerrier getting a 3-year deal? It's not like right-handed middle relievers are rare. This just makes no sense.

Ned Colletti strikes again. There is absolutely no need to dump $4 million a year (though I'm sure some will be deferred) on a middle reliever. Guerrier has a nice ERA for his career (3.38), but his peripherals are not great.

The only good thing is Guerrier has been better the past two seasons than he has his entire career. He has a 2.75 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 7.0 H/9, 2.3 BB/9 and 2.34 BB/9 in his last two seasons. However, his K/9 is less-than ideal (5.4)."

Guerrier has done little to prove me (and others) wrong. He owns a 3.90 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 8.6 H/9, 3.6 BB/9 and a 1.85 K/BB ratio. He has struck out batters at a better clip in his first 32 1/3 innings as a Dodger (6.7) and has yet to allow a home run, but that's about it. He's been mediocre, something which many expected.

Which leads me to Jesse Crain, Guerrier's former teammate with the Twins. Crain, who is three years younger than Guerrier, signed a 3-year, $13 million deal with the White Sox. I'm not advocating the signing of middle relievers to 3-year deals, but if the Dodgers were so hellbent on signing a reliever to a 3-year deal, it should have been Crain, not Guerrier.

Crain has performed much better than Guerrier while pitching in a tougher hitter's league and a hitters park.

Crain bests Guerrier in almost every major pitching category:

• 3.10 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 5.0 H/9, 8.7 K/9 and a 1.87 K/BB ratio

Not only that, but Crain's pure stuff is much, much better than Guerrier's.

I know, hindsight; shoulda, woulda, coulda; I get it. But this just shows the ineptitude of the mustachioed one making personnel decisions for the Dodgers.

I'm hoping Guerrier can improve, but this is probably what Dodger fans should expect for the next two-plus years.

#####

A couple weeks ago, I wrote a post about Garrett Gould and how he was back. Well, he's done nothing to make that post look foolish. Gould is one of the best pitchers in the Midwest League and could very well be in line for a promotion after the league's All-Star Break.

When I release my midseason top 15 prospect list in a few weeks, Gould is almost certainly going to be in my top five after starting the season at No. 13.

#####

Old friend and former Feelin' Kinda Blue mancrush Cory Wade was released by the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday and was signed Monday by the Yankees. At first, I thought Wade might have been released due to performance, but was alerted that he had been pitching well in Triple-A:

• 2-1, 1.23 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 8.3 H/9, 1.5 BB/9, 8.3 K/9, 5.67 K/BB ratio

The Rays have one of the best 'pens (statistically) in baseball, so why release a guy who is dominating Triple-A? Wade had an opt-out clause for June 15. If the Rays didn't add him to the active Major League roster, they would have to release him.

Well, the Yankees wasted no time scooping him up. He should get back to the majors sometime this season.

#####

Mike Petriello of Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness wrote on Saturday it's time to give A.J. Ellis a chance. It's a good read and makes a lot of sense.

Eric Stephen of True Blue L.A. wrote Aaron Miles has "the emptiest .300 batting average in Dodgers' history."

Roberto Baly of Vin Scully is my Homeboy has all the coverage you need on Vin Scully's damaged Hollywood Walk of Fame star.

Kenny Shulsen of Lasorda's Lair has a nice interview with former Dodger Tommy John.

Andre Ethier is still in fourth place, Matt Kemp fifth among National League outfielders in All-Star balloting. Ryan Braun, Lance Berkman and Matt Holliday are leading the way. No other Dodgers are in the top five at any position (unsurprisingly).