SUNDAY: Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN reports (via Twitter) that Correia had already cleared revocable waivers, meaning Los Angeles passed on claiming him and the Twins were free to deal him to any team.
SATURDAY: The Dodgers acquired righty Kevin Correia from the Twins for a player to be named later or cash considerations, announced the teams. The Dodgers officially placed Josh Beckett on the DL earlier today with a left hip injury, which is expected to sideline him for at least two weeks. Dodgers GM Ned Colletti acquired Roberto Hernandez from the Phillies earlier this week in response to injuries to Beckett and swingman Paul Maholm.
At the time, Colletti noted he was still trying to add another arm, and it appears that he got his man in Correia (a name that MLBTR’s Steve Adams suggested as a possibility following Colletti’s comments). “Kevin gives us an additional option as a starter or long reliever. He also supplies us with more veteran pitching depth for the stretch drive,” said Colletti in tonight’s press release.
Correia, 34 later this month, posted a 4.94 ERA, 4.2 K/9, 2.2 BB/9, 0.90 HR/9, and 41.5% groundball rate in 129 1/3 innings for Minnesota. Those numbers include a disastrous April, but he’s posted a respectable, if unspectacular 4.31 ERA in 102 1/3 innings since.
The Twins signed Correia to a two-year, $10MM deal after the 2012 season, and he used his pitch-to-contact approach to generate a 4.18 ERA in 31 starts last year. The San Diego native spent the first eight seasons of his career pitching for the Giants and Padres. He picked up an All-Star nod in 2011 as a member of the Pirates.
Minnesota has saved about $1.5MM by shipping Correia to the Dodgers. Additionally, they’ve opened a spot for new acquisition Tommy Milone, who will start Monday night in Houston. Twins GM Terry Ryan is looking beyond 2014, with his club mired in last place, and Milone will be one of two new faces in Minnesota’s rotation going forward, alongside rookie Trevor May. Colletti and Ryan matched up on a minor trade last summer as well, with the Dodgers picking up backup catcher Drew Butera for minor leaguer Miguel Sulbaran (who has since been flipped to the Yankees for Eduardo Nunez).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Ok Ned, how about some decent setup men now?
Ned Colletti gets yet another former Giant who was under his wing while still with the Giants.
oh well it not a flashy move but hopefully it a solid one. doesnt hurt to do a trade and see if it works
Yeesh, if that’s all the level of quality you were looking for, you probably could’ve “found another arm” in your own farm system somewhere.
not really pitching in triple A bad and only real option dodgers have is a guy name Chris reed.
bullpen arm ok but starter no way out of all the arms there they only have one real option i dont think he ready
Not every move is made to please the blockbuster junkies.
Contenders can never have enough arms, and to be honest, there really isn’t anyone ready to step up from the minors yet,
I’m not saying they needed to go get someone better, but if this was the best they could come up with then they probably would’ve been better off doing nothing. You can find arms as good (or better) in just about any farm system. The guy is literally a bottom 10 starter in all of baseball.
You’re probably right, TDK. Fortunately, he’s probably going to be a long man and nothing more. I can’t help but feel the Dodgers let a few chances go before the deadline. Although, full credit to them if they think prices were just too high.
I’d like to see Reed or Lee force the Dodgers hand and say hey, we are here too.
reed yes because he has the stuff to be a a good or even great pen arm if not a starter, lee no just because he struggle alot in triple A even if it a place were pitchers go to die.
It’s kind of nice to see them go out and be fearless in acquiring anything they think they need, but in this case they really didn’t need it. Like you said though, as a longman, if they’re lucky they’ll hardly ever need to use him.
Without Maholm, they didn’t have a longman, meaning, they didn’t have a pitcher who they want wasting the stress of throwing innings in a losing cause. Correia isn’t on the team to win games, or to play in winning games. He’s on the team to minimize the impact of losses. That’s actually an important role. The starters are going to throw a stinker now and then, especially as the season wears them down. You don’t want to compound the damage by throwing good arms after bad. Instead, you send up Correia.
The good news with Correia is that he is a pitcher meant for the NL west not a big fly guy but a shallow fly sinker guy who has stuff that will work in the humid NL West parks
The Cardinals way overpaid for there boy elroy Lackey
reevaluate your definition of “literally”
You think he’s not this year? I suppose he has an edge over pitchers who weren’t given chance after chance, but among pitchers that have been starting all year he is easily in the bottom 10 in a lot of categories.
i think chris reed is close to if not ready. he been the best pitcher in the minors who close to major league ready. i really think dodgers should use him in the pen then use him as a starter next season. make him and bills on a cheap deal fight for beckett spot if he retires
Correia has a 4.10 ERA since June 10.
But AL.
and they say the DH adds about .50 to an ERA.
Who ever they are, they say wrong. It’s more like 3-5%.
In some of the comments, the role of “longman” is minimized. Actually, in the last two months of the season, in a pennant race, a longman takes on a measure of importance. Our starters are wearing down. Greinke, Ryu, Kershaw, Haren — all are capable of throwing a stinker, Haren especially. Do you want to burn the arm of a reliever we like? Those guys are wearing down too. Longman is not a good role for a prospect, psychologically, always having to pitch behind 5-0. It’s better for a veteran to play that role — he gets it, nothing to prove except his professionalism. When Correia comes into a game, the odds will be minimal that he will win it. He’s not expected to. He won’t be judged by that. He’ll be judged by how many other Dodger relievers he keeps out of the game. He’s there to stop the bleeding and not much more. It’s a useful piece.
Honestly, this isn’t a bad move Colletti has made. It’s pretty bold one because Correia can provide a Long Relief role an inning or two that he can provide for the Dodgers. Paul Maholm had this job until he was lost for the rest of the season due to a torn ACL. Even if his record of 5-13 is pretty ugly, he’ll start out fresh in L.A. within the bullpen.
What is bold about this move?
The Milone move was brilliant and saving the 1.5 was wise.
Probably good for both teams.
Dodgers plan to compete in the playoffs?
Depth at Major League level… were you expecting him start Game 1?
Not surprised at this return. It was what I was expecting at the 07/31 deadline. Glad he’s gone and Milone gets a shot.