3 recent wasteful Dodgers signings that were rightfully questioned by fans

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What if … the Los Angeles Dodgers made better bullpen decisions that could’ve led them to Not Craig Kimbrel? Would’ve been pretty cool, right?! Instead, despite cheering for the best team in baseball, Dodgers fans are tasked with managing their blood pressure with Kimbrel handling ninth-inning duties (with an already thin bullpen around him).

There are plenty of great contributors at the moment, from Evan Phillips to David Price to Alex Vesia. But it hasn’t been easy without Blake Treinen for most of the year and Brusdar Graterol for the last five weeks.

Though Kenley Jansen was the source of frustration for many Dodgers fans, most of you miss him a whole lot right about now, huh? Take that continuity from the back end, coupled with a bunch of bullpen signings that didn’t really make sense, and there seems to be a paramount problem brewing for October.

Looking back, the Dodgers making these three moves with the intent of “helping” the bullpen appear to be totally wasteful. The troubling aspect of it is not that the signings didn’t “pan out” — it’s that the warning signs were alive and well to suggest exactly that.

What was the front office thinking? Fans rightfully questioned these moves at the time, and now it’s safe to say that’s been validated. Had a couple of better decisions been made, the Dodgers might not be in the precarious situation they are right now with the postseason fast approaching.

3 recent wasteful Dodgers signings that fans were right to question

Jimmy Nelson #40 of the Los Angeles Dodgers (Photo by Rob Leiter/MLB Photos via Getty Images) /

3. Jimmy Nelson

Last August, Jimmy Nelson was forced to undergo Tommy John surgery in addition to a procedure to repair his flexor tendon. Pretty brutal stuff, especially for a 33-year-old.

But that didn’t stop the Dodgers from giving the right-hander a new contract in March. He was signed to a one-year, $700K deal with a $1.1 million club option for 2023 (which also contains performance bonuses).

This isn’t anything to overly criticize since a) the Dodgers were doing a nice thing to employ an injured player and b) the front office was trying to reap the benefits of Nelson’s potential value when he was ready for action in 2023, but … was this necessary?

Nelson’s surgery at the time all but officially knocked him out for 2022, meaning the Dodgers paid $700K for nothing. Now, they have to make a decision in the offseason whether or not to pick up his $1.1 million option, which, again, isn’t costly, but you’re either faced with wondering if he can actually contribute due to the severity of his injuries or paying him to spend a season getting back on track after having not thrown a pitch since July 30, 2021.

We’ve seen so many players take a year off from Tommy John and then another year getting up to speed. Did the Dodgers really just pay almost $2 million for nothing? Weird, that’s all.

Tommy Kahnle #44 of the Los Angeles Dodgers (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /

2. Tommy Kahnle

Here’s another instance where the Dodgers tried to “get ahead.” Back in July of 2020, the New York Yankees lost a key bullpen piece in Tommy Kahnle after the right-hander suffered an elbow injury that required Tommy John. He was non-tendered in the offseason and became a free agent.

In came the Dodgers, swooping in to sign Kahnle to a two-year contract and guarantee him $4.75 million in addition to possible incentives that December. OK … but why? Kahnle was, like Nelson, all but officially out for the entire 2021 season (he was) and he actually ended up not being ready until late April of 2022!

Like the Nelson situation, the Dodgers were essentially paying for Kahnle’s 2022 contributions, meaning they believed that $4.75 million cost would justify his production the year after. Not the worst gamble considering Kahnle’s track record … but did anyone really think he’d immediately return to form in 2022 after throwing just one inning between 2020 and 2021? He already had injury and consistency issues in previous years.

Nobody expected this, but Kahnle’s experienced elbow issues since coming back to action and may not be able to pitch again in 2022 after throwing just four innings. With the various bullpen problems the Dodgers have had in recent years, why were they searching for diamonds in the rough or praying for injury bounce-backs when they simply could’ve invested money in known commodities?

Starting pitcher Danny Duffy #30 of the Kansas City Royals (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) /

1. Danny Duffy

Maybe criticizing the first two on this list was reaching. After all, gambling ~$6 million in hopes two guys would return to form and provide value three times that amount isn’t exactly bad business.

But trading for an injured Danny Duffy, absorbing the remaining ~$6-$7 million of his 2021 salary, watching him not throw a pitch for you after said trade deadline, re-signing him in the offseason for $3 million (with a $7 million team option for 2023!), and then seeing him suffer a setback this week only to likely be ruled out for the remainder of the season just makes Dodgers fans feel INSANE.

Manager Dave Roberts recently told reporters that it’s “pretty unlikely” Duffy makes it back at some point this season after the incident in his rehab. The Dodgers traded for him knowing he was injured and knowing there was a risk for surgery. Duffy ended up requiring flexor tendon surgery months after the trade and has been out ever since.

That’s at least $9 million invested in a player who has yet to even sniff the field for you! And we’re not talking about a signing bonus for a promising international stud. Or even a first-round draft pick. This is a 33-year-old veteran whose best days are far in the rearview despite a mini resurgence in 13 games during the first half of 2021.

It doesn’t even matter what the Royals got in return for the left-hander. They won the trade had they only received a bag of baseballs. They offloaded cash and Duffy hasn’t logged an inning for the Dodgers.

Maybe Friedman’s one flaw is trying to get ahead with deals like this? Maybe no more of these when the offseason arrives. Thanks.

HOUSTON, TEXAS - AUGUST 21: Pedro Baez #52 of the Houston Astros bumps fists with Jason Castro #18 after they defeated the Seattle Mariners 15-1 at Minute Maid Park on August 21, 2021 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

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