Dodgers: Yaisel Sierra’s release proves he was an international signing bust

The Los Angeles Dodgers have cleaned up on the international signing market, restocking their minor league system with some of the best young players from around the globe.

Yaisel Sierra figured to be the next great international Dodger pitcher after he defected from Cuba.

Sierra signed a six-year, $30 million deal with LA in February of 2016, as his blistering fastball and sharp slider figured to be a quality combination at the MLB level, provided he managed to get his control problems sorted out.

If you, like many Dodger fans, are wondering where Sierra has been for the last few years, he’s been in the minor leagues trying to make the next step. But after some very poor numbers with the Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City, Los Angeles has finally reached a breaking point.

After years of Sierra struggling to reign in his fastball, Andrew Friedman and the Dodgers finally reached a breaking point, releasing him in the final year of his expensive contract.

The lack of command was the nail in his coffin, and the front office has apparently grown tired of waiting for the 30-year-old to break out.

The Dodgers blew it with Yaisel Sierra.

Sierra has had a very unusual journey in baseball. Despite posting a gnarly 7.69 ERA during his final season in Cuba, he was signed to that big deal and joined the Dodgers’ High-A affiliate in Rancho Cucamonga.

While he struggled as a starter, he posted a 3.04 ERA as a reliever in a 2017 season spent mostly with Double-A Tulsa, which helped the Dodgers feel optimistic about his ceiling.

Between 2018 and 2020, Sierra pitched just three total innings, presenting him with a major setback that he was unable to overcome, at least if you look at his stats with Oklahoma City this season.

Sierra has an unsightly 13.78 ERA in 23 appearances, walking 12 and giving up six home runs in just over 16 innings of work. With a 2.93 WHIP this season, Sierra is essentially allowing three men to get on base every inning. That is not sustainable.

After making real progress with regards to his walk rate over the years, his sudden loss of control had to be very disheartening for LA to witness.

The Dodgers have done very well for themselves in this phase of the open market, but Sierra goes to show that even the best organizations can have some major slip-ups. Time will tell if this is the end of Sierra’s baseball journey in the States. Perhaps some organization will take a chance on his stuff?

We just know the Dodgers have had enough.

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