December 13, 2018

Kelly to the Dodgers

Dodgers Digest was somewhat surprised by the Dodgers agreeing to a three-year, $25 million contract with Joe Kelly, and sees the risks and rewards with the deal:


So there’s a ton of upside to the Joe Kelly signing due to the quality of his stuff and potential tweaks that could maximize his ability. That said, as of now, they are investing three years and borderline setup man type of money into a pitcher that has achieved his upside for around the final 11 innings in 2018. That is the harsh reality of the deal at the moment and inevitably what makes this signing a significant risk, while also being something to get excited to watch.


In the end, this deal surely represents the Dodgers taking steps towards building a sturdier bridge to Kenley Jansen in the off-season for once. Historically, that plan of action hasn’t worked out all that well for teams with the exception of elite-level relievers, so surely that’s what the Dodgers are hoping they’re getting in Kelly.

Dodgers Digest

Kelly’s high strikeout rate the last few seasons came at the expense of less control.  Through 2015 he average 6.4 K per 9 IP and 3.3 BB per 9 IP.  Since then, the strikeouts are up to 9.2 per 9 IP, and walks are up to 4.6 per 9 IP. Given his age, if his strikeout rate goes down and he doesn’t adjust the walks, he could be in trouble.

1 thought on “Kelly to the Dodgers

  1. rbj

    AAV around $8 mil.
    Anthony Swarzak also got $8.5 mil for 2019 from the Mariners. I guess that’s the going rate for established middle relievers now. I wonder if the superstars aren’t going to get the earth shattering contracts, anymore, but competent average players will see an increase in their salaries.

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