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Following the addition of Shohei Ohtani, the Los Angeles Dodgers badly need to improve their entire pitching staff. The starting rotation lacks ... starters, and while the bullpen rebounded down the stretch, questions remain about the stability and durability.
Though it sounds like the meeting with Yoshinobu Yamamoto went well, the Japanese star alone won't solve the personnel issues the Dodgers have on the pitching front.
Nor will more of Andrew Friedman's gambles on injured veterans! But that hasn't stopped him from continuing the exhausting trend over the last few years. News broke on Wednesday that the front office is at it again.
According to the latest reports, the Dodgers have re-signed Daniel Hudson to a minor-league contract that will guarantee him $2 million if he makes a team. He could earn an additional $2 million in incentives.
Only problem? Hudson's pitched in 28 games since the start of the 2022 season. He's entering his age-37 season, coming off two serious knee injuries. Why even bother with this?
Right-handed reliever Daniel Hudson and the Los Angeles Dodgers are in agreement on a minor league contract, sources tell ESPN. Hudson, 36, missed most of last season with knee injuries and will earn $2 million if he makes the team, up to $2 million more in performance bonuses.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 13, 2023
Dodgers sign Daniel Hudson to minor-league contract in frustrating move
The Dodgers' 40-man roster is full at the moment, which probably helped them in the negotiating, and though it helps to get more bodies at spring training, it'd simply be nice of more known commodities were acquired to better project how the Dodgers can rebound in 2024.
This is nothing against Hudson, either. He's been a very good reliever across his 14-year career, but the Dodgers are already bringing back injury question marks in Blake Treinen, Walker Buehler and JP Feyereisen next season. They still employ Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May despite those two never putting up a full workload across a campaign. And let's not even get into the performance question marks elsewhere.
The #Dodgers may be looking to add an elite left-hander to their bullpen.https://t.co/1uO49ecfrx pic.twitter.com/qeL5OfmqQa
— Dodger Blue (@DodgerBlue1958) December 13, 2023
What's encouraging is that the Dodgers are reportedly interested in Josh Hader, but we'll believe a high-dollar investment in a reliever when we see it. Ever since they let Kenley Jansen go, the Dodgers have been patching their bullpen together with scotch tape.
LA rejected Hudson's team option that would have guaranteed him $6.5 million in 2024 after guaranteeing his 2023 team option while he was recovering from a torn ACL in 2022. This decision is far less risky and silly, but why can't Friedman and Co. just move along once and for all?