4 former Dodgers failing miserably with their new teams in 2023

Ross Stripling

Throughout his eight-year career, Stripling has always been a tough player to read. During his five-year stint on the Dodgers, he proved to be a pitcher that could excel in any role he was placed in. He was a reliable swingman for the club, and even made the All-Star Game in 2018.

After a rough start to the 2020 season, Stripling was traded to the Blue Jays in exchange for spare parts. After being a well-below-average arm in Toronto for the first year and a half on the club, he finally broke out last year.

In 32 appearances (24 starts), Stripling quickly became one of the Blue Jays' most trusted arms, going 10-4 with a 3.01 ERA, 3.11 FIP and 128 ERA+. He did an excellent job at limiting home runs, keeping runners off the basepaths and doing what he has always done best: inducing groundballs.

After the Blue Jays did not re-sign him in free agency, the 33-year-old took his services to the San Francisco Giants, where he signed a two-year, $25M contract. To start things off on his new team, things have not been promising.

After making just one start for the Giants, management has already demoted Stripling to the bullpen in favor of Sean Manaea. Even his relief experiment has not gone well. In a total of four appearances and 12.1 innings pitched, he has a 7.30 ERA, thanks to 10 earned runs and a whopping six home runs allowed already.

While such a development is suboptimal for the Giants, Dodgers fans will surely take it. The club seems to be financially tied up to a pitcher who had a one-off solid year the season prior.