Dodgers: Re-Creating a More Realistic Reliever Wish List

The Winter Meetings are over, and the Dodgers may as well have not gone. There were very little rumors but nothing came to fruition, and the team looks the same as it did before the meetings began, if not worse.

The only thing Dodger fans learned from these past four days is the Dodgers’ focus is to improve the bullpen, and they will not be spending much to make that happen. They proved this by letting Brandon Morrow sign with the Cubs. 

The market for relievers got much smaller during the meetings. Steve Cishek, Brandon Kintzler, Brandon Morrow, and Joe Smith, among others, were all signed. From my original reliever article, only Addison Reed is available, and if the Dodgers follow the path they are expected to take, he will not be wearing a Dodger uniform next season.

So, with money playing a factor and the Dodgers basically looking for cheap but effective pitchers, the wish list has changed. After examining the market yet again, I hope to have found three more options that follow the “cheap but usable” guidelines. Here is the reliever wish list 2.0.

Hector Rondon

* Editors note, Hector Rondon signed a 2-year deal $8.5M with the Astros *

If you like Pedro Baez you’ll like Hector Rondon. Similarly, if you are not a Baez fan, Rondon probably won’t make your nice list.

Hector Rondon is essentially the second coming of Pedro Baez. His ability to strike out batters with intense velocity is there. He struck out 69 in just 57.1 innings last year. But, just like Baez, Rondon’s 69 punch outs were accompanied by an absurd amount of walks (20).

Rondon last year was inconsistent. He was elite at times while he was awful in others. On the season, he finished with an unsightly 4.24 ERA. But, some stats may prove a lot of Rondon’s ugly ERA was bad luck.

First is his WHIP which was just 1.221 at the end of the year. 1.221 is not the best ever but it certainly does not go with a 4.24 ERA. Similarly to his WHIP, Rondon’s ERA+ of 104 is usually not seen anywhere near a pitcher with an ERA well into the fours.

But, to the Dodgers advantage, Rondon’s season was generally not considered a good one. He lost his closer job, got released by the Cubs, and put up some pretty gross numbers. 

Add all those up and the result is a really cheap contract. The Dodgers have Baez on the roster and whether you will admit it or not they have made him work. So, why not have both of baseball’s least favorite successful pitchers.

Dillon Gee

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Here we go, the big risk. If Dillon Gee has been one thing over the past few seasons, it is the odd man out. Gee has spent significant time in the minor leagues and has bounced between the rotation and the bullpen on three different teams in three years.

Most recently, Gee was a starter and reliever for the Twins where he appeared in just 14 games. Three of his 14 games were as a starting pitcher and the others were from the pen.

Since his debut, Gee has spent most of his time as a starting pitcher. But, with a career ERA of 4.23, a WHIP of 1.345, and 100 home runs allowed, he has not really been all that good. 

That is where his bullpen splits come in. Also since his first call-up, Gee has appeared as a reliever in 37 games and is just 8.2 innings from 100. He has a reliever ERA of 2.96 and his WHIP goes down to 1.281.

So, the argument here would be just to take a gamble. Gee who is now 31 years old is not exactly the optimal investment for a team looking to win. But, with the ability to start when needed and the almost guarantee of a small contract, Gee, like the others in this list, fits the bill for cheap and usable.

If the Dodgers extend a one year deal for less the five million and it gets accepted, I think Gee is a steal and potentially a hidden gem much like Morrow was just a year before.

Next: Dodgers Rumored to Be Interested in Japanese Pitcher

The Dodgers are being very selective with who they are looking to sign this free agency. These three arms are proven MLB pitchers that have had some success at the big league level. They aren’t exactly the top options available, but they fit what the Dodgers are trying to do. We also saw reports that the Dodgers were interested in another Japanese pitcher out of the bullpen today. Whoever it is, the Dodgers need to bring in someone.