Dodgers fans learn all they need to know about new signing from nasty clip
The Los Angeles Dodgers continued their quiet offseason of trying to find hidden gems by signing right-handed pitcher Tyler Cyr to a minor-league contract with an invitation to spring training. This is one of several minor-league contracts doled out by the Dodgers this winter, including one to former all-star Jason Heyward.
Cyr is nowhere close to the big name that Heyward is and his experience pitching at the big-league level is very limited. The 29-year-old made his MLB debut in 2022 and he pitched a grand total of 13.1 innings, logging a 2.70 ERA, before the Athletics designated him for assignment.
While he hasn't gotten many chances despite having seven minor-league seasons under his belt, Cyr's overall numbers throughout his professional career have been promising. Cyr has thrown 281.2 innings in the minors (almost all out of the bullpen) and is sporting a career ERA of 2.97. He averages 10.7 strikeouts per nine innings.
In Cyr's brief stint in the majors last season, he got the honors of having to face arguably the two best players on the planet โ Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani โ in back-to-back plate appearances. Instead of allowing two 450-foot home runs, Cyr struck out the Angels' tandem and made them look silly in the process with a nasty changeup.
Tyler Cyr has serious potential for the Dodgers to unlock
This clip of Cyr striking out Trout and Ohtani tells Dodgers fans all they need to know. Cyr has a wipeout changeup that the Dodgers like and will tell him to throw over and over again.
The Dodgers have been one of the best teams in the league at finding these project relievers and turning them into legitimate contributors out of the bullpen. They have mastered the rocket science approach of simply having pitchers throw their strongest offerings while avoiding the ones that get hit regularly.
In this clip you can see exactly what the Dodgers' scouting department fell in love with and what they will try to play with next season. Obviously Cyr is not going to throw 100% changeups, but the Dodgers can look forward to potentially finding their next Evan Phillips.
If Cyr can buckle down some of his command issues, he could become a valuable member of this bullpen that's put into some key spots down the stretch.
He might not be a household name now, and this might seem like a small signing, but Tyler Cyr has the potential to have a far bigger impact than someone like Heyward.