JANUARY 25: Dolis will make $1MM plus incentives, while the option for 2021 has a base of $1.5MM with bonuses, per Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi. The Blue Jays can cut ties with Dolis before 2021 at no cost.
JANUARY 24: The Blue Jays have reached a one-year agreement with right-hander Rafael Dolis, Scott Mitchell of TSN tweets. The deal includes a club option for 2021. Dolis is a client of Moye Sports Associates.
The 32-year-old Dolis is now in position to return to the majors for the first time since 2013, when he threw a mere five innings for the Cubs in his third season with the club. Overall, he pitched to a 5.48 ERA/5.39 FIP with more walks (26) than strikeouts (25) in 44 1/3 frames for Chicago before seeing Triple-A action with the Giants and Tigers from 2014-15.
Dolis headed for Japan after his MLB chances dried up a few years ago, and it proved to be an excellent decision. The hard thrower posted a tremendous 2.49 ERA with 96 saves and 9.9 K/9 against 2.7 BB/9 over 206 innings with the Hanshin Tigers of Nippon Professional Baseball from 2016-19. Dolis’ success in Asia put him back on the major league map, and he now looks primed to win a season-opening spot in Toronto’s bullpen.
Who dis?
Former Cubs farm hand; was a solid organizational prospect once upon a time.
This guy gave up just 6 home runs in 209 innings over in Japan. Might as well give him a shot.
Agreed. Looking at the update today makes me think this is a no brainer. We need bullpen help and the cost for him is pretty low.
On todays addition of players you complet forgot about
Dolis was on my bargain signing wish list. (Would have preferred Carl Edwards Jr. but…)
I used to pull for Rafael Dolis a lot back in the day with the Cubs.
I wish someone would give Lew Ford a deal just for fun, he’s still mashing for Long Island in the Atlantic League at age 42, his 10th straight season there.
He hasn’t been in MLB since 2007 but never stopped playing pro ball. Love hearing it.
Played with O’s in 2012
Strike five?
HELLO DOLIS !!
Very interesting signing, wonder who will be gone as we have a full 40 man roster!
His numbers look quite good 2.49 ERA with over 9 K’s per 9 innings over 4 seasons. this “weak” BP is already looking better!
I was surprised as I thought most of the remaining additions to the BP would be on Minor League contracts with invites to Spring Training! Oh well two more major signings before Feb. 17th IMHO, both position players One could be via trade(JBJ) or FA’cy (Pillar) and then Holt or Puig are also a possibility!
It was nice to see the Jays were # 5 in the AL in off season spending!
I dont think JBJ is likely as Boston would probably have us at the bottom of their trade partner list especially for a guy at least 4 or 5 teams would be in on.
Pillar, oh Pillar. As great as the memories are, there is a reason your ex is your ex. He became expendable because he’ll never hit, his career is probably 4th outfielder to shore up D and still provide a mediocre bat.
Sadly we’re already made up of what looks like half dozen 4th OF, no ones grabbing the bull by the horns instead of running with it. All the way back from Snider to Pompey and now to Alford being on the cusp of being cut with Fisher probably getting an extended look because he cost us Sanchez and you cant cut him so quickly.
It looks like their gonna just roll the Dice and see if one of Fisher Grichuk or Teoscar can improve beyond replacement level in CF and if not try Biggio there. I’m guessing because of the overage of middle infield prospects that could easily switch to 2nd long term if they continue upwards
Probably saving prospects and future money for SP next year or via trade this year if all goes right.
Ranked as one of the better relievers/closers in Japan. Sure. Come on over to Toronto.
What? This might be one of the dumbest comments I’ve ever seen on here. Peraza was non-tendered a month ago and signed with Boston. Biggio and McGuire were both highly productive at the MLB level last season as rookies. If Atkins gives up two promising players for a guy they could have just signed for $3m, they should be fired immediately.
I replied to this also but he deleted the comment so I deleted my reply!
Does anyone have a sense of how ERAs from the NPB translate to the MLB? i.e. What mlb era can we expect from Dolis?
Check out Fangraphs Depth Charts.
FG doesn’t seem to use Japanese stats for projections. Dolis’ projection looks like it is based on his MLB stats and Yamaguchi isn’t in the projections at all.
We have had pretty good luck with RP for the last few years, perhaps this is our new 8th inning guy to pair with Giles as closer
Wild card isnt such a stretch if things flip our way with SP this year, lineup can score runs!
Just gotta get in. Am I right Nats fans?
the NPB might need to expand at this point. so many guys going that route now.
Well Tumerg, pretty much everyone said I was wrong when I said Ryu would be a Jay so forgive me if I stick to what I have said!!
Fair, no one knows the plans outside of leaks or the guys on the phones or in the rooms.
Was just my 2 cents,
I was going to mention Marte and his fitting perfectly into what we need. But sounds like Pittsburgh is getting better offers from the Padres. We weren’t supposed to compete this year anyway, so might as well save some bullets for when youre a step or two closer and know more about what you have. Just in case a Fisher or Alford discovers something this year.
You never know, Bautista had 1 foot out MLB before Cito told him to go yard every AB
Not sure if anyone else is finding that you can not reply to a reply or if it is just on my browser also missing the like symbol on my own comment to see if someone like the comment and unable to like a reply to a comment? I am on another site where my browser will not let me edit my comments once they have been posted
I can do all those things.
Wow. The Jays have a ton of pitching now. Not sure how good it will be, but they have so many pitchers a bunch will drop to AA who could be in the Majors.
Ryu
Shoemaker
Roark
Anderson
Thornton
Giles
Yamaguchi
Dolis
Bass
AJ Cole
Pannone
Font
Gaviglio
AAA
Burocki
Pearson
SRF
Kay
Zeuch
Waguespack
Merryweather
Hatch
Murphy
Diaz
Perez
Jackson
Sopko
Harris
Dillon
Romano
McClellan
Dull
Tice
Bergen
Snead
Copping
Baker
Having a tonne of crappy pitching is like having a tonne of crappy 4A outfielders. Only RYU and Giles, a healthy and bulked up Borucki and Pearson count. The rest is filler.
This team has needed filler for years. Hard to complain.
A tonne of crappy pitching is an upgrade from a mix of crappy/dreadful pitching!!
Used 13 starters plus 8 openers last year.
Still a work in progress but the next in line options inspire more confidence this year.
Obviously they should’ve rebuilt faster but this year is the first sign of coming out of the fog. Money off the books and talent is arriving.
Out of the filler, Thornton could develop into an innings eater, Yamaguchi/Dolis/Luciano are interesting wild cards, Kay/Zeuch could still develop into options, and some younger names like Manoah/Richardson/Pardinho/Kloffenstein could also rise up. Little more than filler I’d say.
Getting hot starts from some of the remaining vets would be nice for trade potential. Ryu/Borucki/Pearson for 2021 is a nice start. Roark and Thornton to compete with any FA/trade additions to fill out the staff. Sliding Paxton in there would be the dream. Next year might be more realistic chance to trade for Clevinger? Rather see a few of our fillers develop instead!
Go Jays
Can’t reply to comments made to me anymore on this site, weird.
I can reply
Can’t reply to comments made to me anymore on this site, weird.
Sauce
Terry Mesmer, I can not and it appears I am not alone as strike four states he can not either. I am using Microsoft Edge on a notepad am thinking that is the problem.
Same here but on an IPhone. The skins must be playing with settings.
Why isn’t thIs a Minor league deal?
Why would he want to come to play in the minors for pennies, he could just as easy stay in Japan and make his 1 Million + Incase you were not aware his 2019 salary in American dollars was $1,528,980.00
Exactly correct. Plus in Japan living expenses are paid for, numerous family roundtrip airfare and taxes.
Dolis won the Top Closer Award for the Central League in Japan (there are 2 leagues like MLB) in 2018. Over the past 3 years, he has been the top closer in Japan. His team the Hanshin Tigers won two playoff games in 2019 – Dolis won both games. Halfway through the 2019 season Hanshin switched his role to set-up and he still ended up #2 in saves in the Central League. Blue Jays were smart to keep an eye on Dolis’ availability and add him to their roster in 2020.
No. They dove in a dumpster nobody looked in and gave a roster spot to a “never was”. Not smart at all.
Teams do this sometimes. Why so bitter PTSD Jays?
Brewers did so well with a “never was” in Thames that they went and signed another “never was” in Lindblom this offseason.
Cardinals are doing alright with their “never was” Mikolas.
A one year deal for a bullpen arm is worth the shot. Super volatile position anyway. Jays back end 40man arms would likely be Merriweather, Font, Gaviglio, Waguespack, Romano. I’ll take the guy that seems to have figured it out in Japan. I’m also hoping that Aumont forces them to cut another one of these names with a hot spring.
Thanks for the insight Yakyubeisbol.
Go Jays!