TUESDAY, 8:23pm: Wright's deal is worth $1.8MM, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.
1:55pm: The Dodgers confirmed the signing via press release. Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times (on Twitter) confirms that it's a big league contract.
MONDAY, 4:38pm: The Dodgers are in agreement with right-hander Jamey Wright on a one-year deal, according to Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times (on Twitter). Wright is represented by agent Casey Close of Excel Sports Management.
Wright, who will celebrate his 39th birthday tomorrow, was excellent in his age-38 season with the Rays, pitching to a 3.09 ERA with 8.4 K/9, 3.0 BB/9 and a 50.8 percent ground-ball rate. The 70 innings were the most Wright had thrown since his 2009 campaign with the Royals. This will mark Wright's second stint with the Dodgers, as he also spent the 2011 season in Los Angeles' bullpen. Earlier this month it was reported that the veteran was choosing between returning to the Rays or returning to the Dodgers.
Wright is the second right-hander with whom the Dodgers have reached a one-year agreement today, as GM Ned Colletti also brought Chris Perez into the fold this morning. Wright will serve primarily a middle relief option for manager Don Mattingly, who continues to see his bullpen depth bolstered. The Dodgers parted ways with Ronald Belisario this offseason but re-signed Brian Wilson to pair with Kenley Jansen late in the game. The Dodgers' strong bullpen will also feature the likes of Paco Rodriguez and J.P. Howell. Brandon League will be in the mix as well, and while he struggled in 2013, he pitched to a 3.14 ERA over a three-year span from 2010-12. Right-hander Chris Withrow, who was outstanding as a rookie in 2013, is another option or could be included in a trade for a more established pitcher with Wright now on board.
Excelente firma para relevo largo ¡¡¡
Huh? I’m not sure why?
expect a trade coming up…i guess.
why? is depth bad to have? it’s not like league pitched well last season. why do you expect a trade?
how do you keep all those guys on the 25 man roster? withrow, garcia, guerra, dominguez, (elbert), wright, howell, league, rodriguez, perez, wilson, jansen.
Our bullpen is stacked. Go Blue.
The Dodgers should sign all remaining top free agents.
Then the Orioles can claim anyone the Dodgers waive to make room on the roster.
I really can see Angelos and Duquette doing this!
could mean withrow starting in the minor and also mean dodgers still wanted to get a long reliever
Dodgers attempting to put together the first 25 man roster of only relief pitchers!
The Dodgers are adding some solid relievers
Okay, call me crazy, but I think a trade’s coming for the Dodgers.
Lol, the Dodgers now have EIGHT relievers signed to major league contracts:
League, Wright, Perez, Howell, Withrow, P.Rodriguez, Wilson, & Jansen
Now I know Withrow and Rodriguez have options, BUT it certainly smells like the Dodgers may be looking to deal off a reliever or two in a trade down the road.
We’ll see.
Okay, you’re crazy! (Next I will call you a cab.)
Unless this turns out to be a minor league contract, somebody will have to go.
Paco may start in the minors and be the 8th guy upon injury.
No chance Paco starts in the minors. Dodgers need to have to lefty relievers, and they are Paco and JP.
I think if Paco looks as bad in Spring Training as he did in the final month of the season, he’ll be in the minors, right-handedness of the bullpen be damned. But I don’t expect that to happen; fairly sure he can rebound.
The Dodgers also have Onelki Garcia for LH depth, though. And Elbert might be back mid-season.
Elbert will be lucky to be back mid season, If i had a guess, it would be that he doesn’t pitch at all in 2014.
I imagine if the Dodgers felt the same, they would’ve non-tendered him. Seems they’re anticipating he’ll make some contribution this season…
this sign mean one of 2 things withrow starting in the minors or league will be cut or traded. i highly doubt paco will be sent down or jansen will be traded
I’m thinking more that Withrow gets dealt.
dealt why? unless he in a trade for say price we really dont have any needs that require withrow to be traded
I think a trade for Price could happen down the line. Or maybe a trade we just aren’t seeing right now that may have been talked about behind closed doors.
well unless that unknown trade for a good player trading withrow would be a waste if say we got a bench player.. since that the only need we have
Is Gerry Hunsicker (formerly with the Rays front office) still with the Dodgers front office?
Yes, he’s the Senior Advisor of Baseball Operations, whatever that is.
And he’s probably figuring out what trade pieces TB wants in order to trade for David Price. 🙂
I think a David Price deal is in the works.
And I think kenley Jannsen is on his way to the bay.
TB would not want Kenley. His arb will start to get crazy next season.
Any team would want Kenley. Whatever he is set to make in arbitration would still be way below market value. The Rays might flip him to another team, but they’d certainly be happy to acquire him.
That being said, far more likely they’d find common ground with the Dodgers on Withrow (or Dominguez, or Yimi Garcia) than Jansen.
Things are not going well with Guerrero. They might be looking for an additional middle infielder?
At this point, I doubt they are concerned with Guerrero’s, I believe, hamstring injury.
He is the likely 2B next season. Also, don’t be surprised if Dee Gordon starts playing 2B and ends up being a possibility there.
My guess, at this point, is acquiring depth in the pen to free pieces to possibly make a trade for a starting pitcher (not necessarily David Price) down the road.
For example, the Dodgers may engage the Phillies and look to trade for Cliff Lee and agree to eat his whole contract and send back a reliever, like Withrow. If the Dodgers strike out on Tanaka, that could be an alternative.
Not to mention Seth Rosin, who they took from the phillies in the rule five draft
No way Rosin stays on the 25-man roster all season.
I don’t think he makes it out of camp to be honest unless someone gets hurt. But two weeks ago it looked like he could.
Would Rosin go to the Phillies or the Mets upon demotion?
Whomever he was drafted from. So, Phillies I believe.
Mets I think.
Dang that bullpen is stacked
dodgers bullpen is getting crowded with these recent signings
not really dodgers could either cut or trade league or send down withrow or as some say trade him. so they really only need to make one move and the pen would be set
They could keep all of them and only carry 12 fielders..
I’m impressed. The Dodgers bullpen looks great
If this is not a minor-league deal, then I’m assuming Withrow will be traded. I hate to see him go because I really like him, but I can see why the Dodgers would be okay with it as he has a spotty injury history and it’s a chance to trade at his highest value.
Yeah, I see Withrow being moved, whether it’s as part of a big trade for Price, or for a trade involving one of the Dodger OF’ers.
I doubt it. This traffic jam can be resolved by keeping Rodriguez and Withrow in the minors. What nobody has mentioned here yet is the potential for a real crunch if/when Beckett and Billingsley become available. If both of them get healthy, now we’re in trade city.
Wright is 39 and he isn’t coming here on a Minor League deal. He’s going to be the long reliever.
Sorry, I meant Withrow. Fixed it.
They certainly can, but it may make sense to include him in a deal now if it can help you in another area.
only areas of need dodgers have are the bench maybe some IF prospects and a 5th pitcher. every where else dodgers are pretty set
I really feel like Price is still in play. The Dodgers are desperate to win a World Series.
but i dont believe they are desperate enough that they will hurt the farm and their future unless they do another trade to get some prospects
The only remaining needs are a #5 starter and one or two utility infielders. Usually that sort of player is easily found without trading anyone away.
I can’t imagine the Dodgers not keeping Paco in the majors.
After last September, I can imagine it. Have to wonder if batters are starting to read his unusual delivery.
So over a season and a half of stellar work, one bad month and you would pull the plug on one of the best young lefty relievers in the game? Most reports stated that he was spent, and I can understand that as he pitched way above what he had ever threw before.
I didn’t say anything about pulling the plug. He is still young, and could need some adjustments. A deep pen gives the Dodgers that option.
how many roster spots do the dodgers have
The Dodgers came into the off season with the smallest 40 man roster.
I think Withrow might be a piece the Rays have targeted , thus the recent signings. I think Seattle wants Kemp as that right hand bat to protect Cano. Maybe Kemp goes to Seattle for a package of Paxton, Franklin , Zunino/Montero (how much cash Dodgers include depends on which catcher)
Then Dodgers deal:
Pederson or Zach Lee
Withrow
Paxton
Franklin
Zunino or Montero (depending on the structure of the Kemp trade)
Dodgers get David Price while not having to include Corey Seager. Don’t want to see Kemp go but 4 OFs is one to many and why not deal from a surplus. I know its far fetched but I don’t see Seattle trading Walker and I would prefer Dodgers do not trade Seager cause we will need a SS in 2016 once Uribe is gone and Hanley shifts to 3B
I don’t even think Montero can pass as a catcher anymore.
Very highly doubt those trades unfold (and I hope they don’t, because Kemp is my favorite player), but if the Dodgers got Franklin they’d probably hang on to him. Dodgers are really weak when it comes to IF depth.
EDIT: Also, I doubt the Dodgers trade Kemp AND Pederson, because that would take a surplus in OF and turn it into a liability if Puig underachieves or Ethier or Crawford get hurt.
Or they want anyone who can play CF. Not sure why that always seems to come as an afterthought.
Not inconceivable that Puig could play CF in the long term. He didn’t look great out there during the regular season, but if the Dodgers really wanted to move Kemp, Puig could handle the position with some practice. He definitely has the speed and the arm for it.
I agree that Ethier isn’t a practical long-term solution for CF, though, and I certainly wouldn’t want Puig learning the position while we are contending for another division title…
Exactly, that’s been my point all along. For next season, the best team the Dodgers can field has Kemp in center.
i would just keep those prospects
Good for Jamey Wright. That pen is going to be good this year.
Bummer! Was hoping the Rays would be able to keep him, he was solid all year. Good luck in LA!
It was going to be either the Rays or the Dodgers.
I have mixed feelings about this possible David Price trade – I assume Withrow would be included. I really like what he has to offer coming out of the bullpen. Last year, he was one of the pitchers that could fill the need for multiple inning relief with heat instead of finesse. I also feel that Price has hit his peak so to trade top tier prospects for him and negotiate a large contract will be a mistake in the long run. On the other hand perhaps if Price is around the work ethic of Kershaw, his best years are still ahead of him. I don’t know. I would rather have Tanaka but the Golden Eagles are proving to make that situation very difficult.
The problem with that assumption on the trade for price is that it goes against everything that the new ownership stated they were willing to do. As for price being passed his peak, it’s kinda of hard to say that when there have been other pitchers who are older and are still successful.
With Tanaka, it is going to be interesting. If he is posted, he will be on one of the most expensive teams in baseball, an out sins like the edge would go to the Dodgers.
I have mixed feelings about this possible David Price trade – I assume Withrow would be included. I really like what he has to offer coming out of the bullpen. Last year, he was one of the pitchers that could fill the need for multiple inning relief with heat instead of finesse. I also feel that Price has hit his peak so to trade top tier prospects for him and negotiate a large contract will be a mistake in the long run. On the other hand perhaps if Price is around the work ethic of Kershaw, his best years are still ahead of him. I don’t know. I would rather have Tanaka but the Golden Eagles are proving to make that situation very difficult.