The Dodgers avoided arbitration hearings for the tenth straight season after signing catcher Yasmani Grandal and pitchers Luis Avilan, Josh Fields and Alex Wood all to one-year deals on Friday, the team announced. Earlier in the week, Los Angeles agreed on a $1.125 million contract with Vidal Nuno — the lefty pitcher netted in the trade that sent catcher Carlos Ruiz to the Mariners in November.
Continue reading “Dodgers Bullpen: How Exactly Does Vidal Nuno Fit In?”
With all the uncertainty surrounding the middle part of the Dodgers‘ bullpen heading into the 2017 campaign, there’s a trio of young relievers, Jacob Rhame, Joe Broussard and Ralston Cash, who are on the fringes of the big leagues and ready to get the call at any point in time. Yet hidden in the depths of the system at Double-A Tulsa, there’s another by the name of Josh Sborz, who has both the competitiveness and physical talent to climb the organizational ladder quickly and conceivably receive a promotion before the other three.
Continue reading “Dodgers Prospects: Josh Sborz Rising Quickly”
Just one day after talks surrounding the possible acquisition of second baseman Brian Dozier from the Twins have reached an official impasse, right-handed reliever Greg Holland may have also made a prospective deal more difficult for the Dodgers after revealing that he’s seeking a two-year deal with an opt-out clause after the first season.
Continue reading “Greg Holland Makes Potential Deal More Difficult for Dodgers”
After initially reaching an agreement in mid-December, the Dodgers finally announced on Tuesday the signing of free agent right-handed pitcher Kenley Jansen to a five-year, $80 million contract.
Continue reading “Dodgers Finally Make Kenley Jansen Deal Official”
As far as roster improvement goes for the Dodgers this winter, much of the emphasis has been put on rumors surrounding Brian Dozier and the options at second base, however, according to recent rumblings, Los Angeles may be looking for some outside help for the bullpen to bridge the gap to All-Star closer Kenley Jansen.
Continue reading “Who is Dodgers’ Best 8th-Inning Relief Option?”
Happy New Year, TBPC readers! We’ve made it through the holidays — spring training starts next month, and the countdown to Opening Day is on. Most of the team has taken shape, and today we take a look at the state of the Dodgers bullpen.
It almost feels like it’s becoming a tradition during the offseason to write a short little story about Alex Wood, discussing how he fits into the Dodgers‘ pitching staff for the upcoming campaign. Next thing you know, management and trainers will be telling reporters that southpaw Hyun-Jin Ryu is at his peak physically, and is ready to take on a heavy workload during Cactus League play.
Continue reading “How Does Alex Wood Fit into Dodgers’ 2017 Roster Puzzle?”
Even if the front office crew of the Dodgers makes a strong play in signing closer Kenley Jansen to an enormous contract over the coming months, free agent reliever Greg Holland could make another fine addition to the Los Angeles bullpen, providing the existing relief corps with some much needed experience and potentially assuming the role of a dependable setup man.
Continue reading “Dodgers Bullpen: Is Greg Holland a Viable Relief Option?”
As we have already briefly outlined several possible areas of the roster the front office crew of the Dodgers will likely address during the offseason, some of the loudest early chatter amongst fans has surrounded the structure of the prospective bullpen heading into 2017.
Continue reading “Doing Some Early Window Shopping for the Dodgers’ Dubious Bullpen”
As far as predictions go, it’s been almost impossible to even come close to the scripts played out so far by the Dodgers and the Nationals in the 2016 NLDS. And with the winner-take-all Game 5 previews pouring out everywhere in the baseball blogosphere, there’s a good chance that none of them approach what’s on tap in the season finale. Continue reading “Dodgers Bullpen Could Play Huge Role in NLDS Decider”
Think Blue Planning Committee 