The Dodgers announced Friday that they’ve designated left-hander Adam Liberatore for assignment. His roster spot will go to the newly acquired Ryan Madson, whose trade to the Dodgers is now official.
Liberatore, 31, enjoyed a terrific season with the 2016 Dodgers, working to a 3.38 ERA with 9.9 K/9, 3.6 BB/9, 0.42 HR/9 and a 38.9 percent ground-ball rate. Lefties hit just .169/.250/.244 against him that season. However, Liberatore missed the bulk of the 2017 season with a forearm strain and has been injured in Triple-A this season as well. The southpaw does have a 2.77 ERA in 13 big league innings this year, but he’s issued eight walks and a hit a batter in that small sample and has yielded 16 runs (10 earned) and a whopping 29 hits in 17 Triple-A frames.
Though he hasn’t had a great season and was injured for most of 2017, Liberatore could yet appeal to other clubs. He’s held opposing left-handed hitters to a .204/.294/.311 slash in his Major League career and even held righties to a fairly tame .242/.318/.388 slash. Teams will have to weigh those results against the fact that his fastball is down nearly three miles per hour from his 2015 debut, though, as well as the fact that he’ll be out of minor league options in 2019.
I know he has 8 walks in 13 innings, but that’s kind of surprising to me
Dodgers may have a trade in place for Liberatore.
It would be surprising if he cleared waivers.
So he has to go through waivers correct? Bottom dwellers better be all over this guy
I believe he can be traded without going through waivers within 7 days. If he’s not traded, then he is irrevocably waived.
He’s probably out of options and arb eligible in ‘19. Dodgers were going to non-tender him?
There’s always a team who thinks they can fix the wildness of a live arm.
Doesn’t that only apply before the deadline? Wouldn’t he still have to go through waivers to be traded?
Someone’s going to pick this guy up and get a quality bullpen piece
Yeah dont see him getting through waivers. Sucks to see him go but there was no other DFA option