Saturday, November 18, 2023
Copyrighted by Sarah Morris, 2023
The Los Angeles Dodgers gave a contract offer to their twelve arbitration-eligible players. They signed Yency Almonte to a one-year $1.9 million.
Before the All-Star break, the Dodgers had one of the worst bullpens in baseball. Nevertheless, their bullpen became one of the best bullpens in baseball, and it showed up during the NLDS against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Dodgers need to keep their elite bullpen together. This offseason, they want to concentrate on signing Shohei Ohtani and obtaining starting pitchers. Luckily, most of the Dodger relievers aren’t free agents. They are arbitration-eligible.
The Dodgers need to re-sign both Ryan Brasier and Joe Kelly.
Almonte was inconsistent and didn’t pitch after August 11th since he had a sprained knee. He tried to return to pitch in the NLDS but couldn’t. When Almonte’s slider is working, he is practically unhitable. He sometimes struggled with his control and the movement on his slider. When he does, he is terrible.
In 2023, Almonte pitched in 49 games and hurled 48 innings with a 5.06 ERA and 49 strikeouts. In 2020, he underwent Tommy John surgery and missed the 2021 season. Before coming to the Dodgers, Almonte pitched for the Colorado Rockies.
Unless the bullpen blows a lead, most Dodger fans ignore the relievers, but no team can reach the postseason without a terrific bullpen. Andrew Friedman doesn’t like to spend much on relievers since no one can predict how a specific reliever will perform yearly.
The bullpen probably is the last thing on Friedman’s mind. The Dodgers might spend the most of any baseball team in history this offseason. Most Dodger fans are hoping and waiting for their favorite team to sign Ohtani. Ohtani would give the Dodgers a two-time American League MVP DH and a possible ace after he recovers from his second Tommy John surgery in 2025.
While the Dodgers have a fantastic young nucleus of Bobby Miller and Emmet Sheehan for their starting rotation, the Dodgers must obtain starting pitchers. Walker Buehler will return to the starting rotation from his second Tommy John surgery, and he will need an inning limit.
Since the Dodgers don’t have Clayton Kershaw for the first time since 2009, they need a left-handed starter. All teams need starting pitching, so the competition to sign any starters will be fierce.
Most pundits think the Dodgers are front-runners to sign the two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell. While with the Tampa Bay Rays, Friedman drafted Snell. He dislikes negotiating with Scott Boras, the representative for Snell, but the Dodgers understand they need better starting pitching to have a parade after a World Series win, the ultimate goal.
