Dodgers: Winners and losers of the Blake Treinen signing

The Dodgers continued to bolster their bullpen with the Blake Treinen signing.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have re-signed relief pitcher Blake Treinen, shoring up their bullpen and retaining an important piece from their World Series title team. A year ago when the Dodgers added the right-hander, it was just another move in which LA was taking a flyer on a once-promising arm. Now, the deal has a ripple effect.

This signing certainly helps the World Series champs bolster their chance at repeating and it affects other teams as well as free agents throughout the league. Treinen was no doubt a sought-after target, so let’s see who this affected most.

Here are the winners and losers in wake of the Dodgers re-signing Treinen.

Winners

Blake Treinen

Trenein inked a one-year, $10 million contract after the 2019 season hoping to rehabilitate a once promising career. He had been an All-Star closer with the Oakland Athletics, saving 38 games in 2018, but he was non-tendered after 2019 when his ERA ballooned to 4.91 that year.

Treinen turned things around in 2020 with the Dodgers by making 27 appearances during the regular season, good for third in the National League. In the postseason, he pitched in 11 games, threw 11.1 innings with 10 strikeouts, and had a crucial Game 5 save in the World Series to put the Dodgers up 3-2 in the Fall Classic the night after Jansen blew that horrific Game 4.

Treinen is now a key piece in the Dodgers bullpen and the fact that the team gave a 32-year-old reliever an extra year is a big win for him.

Dodgers Front Office

The Dodgers front office, and by extension, Andrew Friedman, got a nice hometown discount in the Treinen deal. His average salary goes from $10 million to $8.75 million, providing the team a little bit more financial flexibility to continue to make other moves.

The Dodgers were also once again able to capitalize on a player seemingly on the downturn. This will continue to make the Dodgers organization an attractive destination for players looking for a second chance.

Losers

Kenley Jansen

More depth in the back end of the bullpen means more of a possibility that Kenley Jansen gets phased out as the team’s closer. The Dodgers love to utilize their relievers in various situations, so the fact that they brought back Treinen, who was so important to their formula in 2020, likely means fewer opportunities for Janse, assuming he doesn’t get back on track.

Don’t forget, the team likes what it has in Brusdar Graterol as well as Victor Gonzalez, so adding another arm here creates more competition. And if the way Jansen’s 2020 season ended is any indication, that’s not a good sign for him.

The NL West

The Dodgers led all of the National League in bullpen ERA last year (2.74), which spells more bad news for their rivals in the NL West. Treinen was an important piece, too, acting as a workhorse and Swiss Army option (we saw him come into games as early as the sixth inning and as late as the ninth).

Talk all you want about the Padres upgrading their rotation. The Dodgers still have the best starting cast in baseball and their bullpen was worlds better than San Diego’s even before the addition of Treinen.

This is just another example proving the Dodgers aren’t going anywhere and should be on track to capture their ninth straight division title.

Dodgers sign Blake Treinen in statement move for bullpen

The Los Angeles Dodgers have signed reliever Blake Treinen to a two-year deal, a massive move for the consistency of their bullpen.