The Dodgers have agreed to a deal with veteran right-hander Nick Tropeano, tweets MLB Network’s Jon Heyman. Tropeano, a client of the Bledsoe Agency, rejected an outright assignment from the Mets in favor of free agency earlier in the week. It’s a minor league deal between the two parties, MLBTR has learned.
Tropeano, 30, will give the Dodgers some depth both in the rotation and the bullpen. The right-hander is no stranger to Southern California, having spent parts of five seasons in the Angels organization earlier in his career. Tropeano tallied 195 2/3 frames for the Halos from 2015-19, missing a season-plus in the middle due to Tommy John surgery but generally faring well when healthy (4.51 ERA, 4.48 SIERA, 21.5 strikeout percentage, 9.3 percent walk rate).
Since leaving the Halos organization, Tropeano has bounced between several teams without a lengthy look at the MLB level, but he’s pitched quite well in limited action both in 2020 and 2021. In 23 2/3 innings split between the Pirates, Giants and Mets across the past two seasons, Tropeano has logged a 1.52 ERA with an even 21 percent strikeout rate and a seven percent walk rate. He’s also pitched to a 2.18 ERA in 20 2/3 Triple-A frames between the top affiliates for the Giants and Mets so far in 2021.
Tropeano has pitched exclusively out of the bullpen in his brief Pittsburgh, San Francisco and New York stints dating back to 2020, but he’s had several multi-inning outings along the way. His final big league appearance for the Mets was a two-inning effort that saw him tally 37 pitches, and he’s since had a pair of three-inning relief outings in Triple-A for the Mets, topping out at 54 pitches. Tropeano has made 39 big league starts to go along with 15 relief appearances, so he could certainly be stretched out as a fifth starter candidate or at least a long relief option for the Dodgers in short order.
The Dodgers aren’t expecting Clayton Kershaw back until September now, and their recent pickups of Cole Hamels (one-year deal) and Danny Duffy (trade) were both made knowing that neither would be an option in the short term. Hamels needs to build up arm strength after sitting out the season to date, while Duffy was acquired midway through a stint on the injured list due to a forearm strain. He’s expected back mid-month. Tropeano gives the Dodgers a more immediate option to plug into the staff at a time when Kershaw and Tony Gonsolin are on the injured list and Trevor Bauer is on administrative leave.
I thought the Dodgers were smarter than this…
What do you got against his numbers? If not for a bum shoulder Trop would of had a good career. The Angels stole him from the Astros with Carlos Perez for Hank Conger. Solid move. Just like them getting Sandavol for Maldonado, as they should have moved Bundy when he was in the middle of a solid season last year. Well see how the Packy Naughton for Goodwin deal works out
Why is everyone’s drawers in an uproar? It’s a minor league deal that could yield good results for a small price.
Yep should have gone out and dealt for Shane Bieber right?
Interestingly, earlier this year Jimmie Sherfy became the first player to pitch for the Giants and Dodgers in the same season. Now Tropeano is going to be the second.
And the best keep getting stronger and stronger
this has got to be sarcasm! Hamels and Tropeano is reaching into retread area
Sounds like a hedge in case MLB keeps extending Bauer’s “administrative leave.”
no way he’s playing again this year
Wouldn’t be surprised if he never plays again.
IF moral clause is not kicked in, he has player option for 64m next two years… cannot keep him in forever suspended mode.
although there is that chance he opts out…but $32m with that baggage…very doubtful
The Bauer situation is going to be a major problem for the Dodgers, not only this season, but 2022 & 2023 as well. The only hope for LA is that Bauer is found ‘guilty’ of something that trips a morals clause in his contract and allows LA to void it, but you know the MLBPA will fight that tooth & nail. It sure seems like LA could be stuck with Bauer for the next two seasons unless they can agree to a buy out, but I’m not sure Bauer would agree to that as what other team is going to sign him given all of his negative baggage? Bauer’s only hope is that his accuser agrees to settle out of court which would also require her to recant her charges against him (saying it was consensual ‘rough-housing’). That would cost him $3M+ if I had to guess. But even if that happens, will the Dodgers (or any other team) be willing to take him back? Who wants that negative PR, regardless of how good of a pitcher he is or what his accuser says to the press? It was only a matter of time before Bauer did something so dumb that he blackballed himself from MLB. I think this qualifies as such an event. The Bauer contract may be the first major misstep by Friedman in LA since he took over. All the signs were there that this guy was a powder keg and the fuse has been lit.
He will almost certainly settle with the woman and she will decline to press charges. This does not by any means require any sort of recantation and in fact the terms are unlikely to be known to anyone but the principals and their lawyers. That’s the way this stuff goes. The MLBPA is going to agree to a suspension of considerable length. Whether his contract can be “voided” is unknowable but my guess is the player and the team agree to some sort of contract buyout. Bauer’s only chance of rehabilitating his career is to admit to his mistake, serve the suspension, and pledge to be a better and more responsible person in the future. Does he have the maturity to take responsibility? I dunno. His track record isn’t encouraging.
What will MLBPA do? They have to defend Bauer, but they also represent all the players not only on Dodgers but other teams who have outspoken that don’t want to play with him.
BlueSkies_LA is spot on. There’s already a precedent, previously set, of the suspension of players in this situation. The union will not fight a suspension of considerable length.
Are they really better??? They addressed the pitching but their offense is hot and cold! And bellinger seems to be a one hit wonder! Oof.
Bellinger is more of a 3 and a half hit wonder so far, this is his first bad season. I’m sure he’ll bounce back.
Not sure I agree. That depends of what he bounces back to. Will it be to the superstar level of the MVP season? The very, very good rookie season? Or to the only above average seasons of 2018 and 2020?
He’s not trending in a good direction presently, and one has to wonder. Is it nagging injuries, or have pitchers found weaknesses in his swing and he hasn’t been able to adjust yet.
I wouldn’t assume anything. I think he will bounce back to some degree, but to which is definitely worth wondering, and maybe, worrying about.
Larry – I remember a time when Dodger fans claimed that Bellinger was every bit as good as Trout. Heck, I remember when they said that Puig was better than Trout.
I remember when they said the moon was made of green cheese.
Pretty sure no sober Dodger fan ever said Puig was better than Trout.
For sure it was one of those they people. The they people are always saying that sort of thing.
Dodgers sure are looking at the bottom of the can now for pitchers
More dumpster diving to stock our bullpen
what, as opposed to signing a bunch of all stars at this point?
I’d say as opposed to signing someone who is reliable in late innings. With Jansen so wobbly again the back end is looking very weak. Tropeano is an answer to a problem the Dodgers don’t actually have and not the answer to the one they do have.
yeah, so you expect to find a Mariano Rivera or Trevor Hoffman just kicking around in free agency this time of year.
Exaggerate much?
Might just be easier to tell us which pitchers the Dodgers do not sign at this point…
Yet again, another smart depth move by LA. They don’t care about the CBT this year and are going balls out trying to win it all this year. If they end up falling short, fans can’t complain that the FO didn’t do enough to try and bring another championship back to LA. As a fan, that’s all you can ask for.
Very true, pressure is on them big time to repeat
No, you see the Dodgers did not address what I feel has been their biggest momentum killer this year. I know, I know, “but look at their record”. This team has a serious lack of urgency in the back end of the bullpen. No one, and I mean, no one is ever out of the game with pitchers like Cleavinger, Jansen, Kelly, Graterol, etc, throwing like they do in high leverage situations. The Dodgers may make the playoffs, but unless they learn to hit average pitching and begin to lock down the late innings, it’ll be a disappointing run for their fans.
A team with a 1-12 record in extra inning games definitely has some unaddressed issues, objectively, but you can’t say that here or the Friedman lovers will be all over you.
Dodger strategy to sign every MLB pitcher available so other teams have minimal options?
Since when is a 4.51 ERA “faring well”?
Since participation trophies became a thing…….we all know who to blame for that.
As a long time Mets fan I am so angry at their management and I don’t blame Tropeano one bit! Mets ran out Wackoff who got obliterated and Hartlieb who sucks and only gave Tropeano 2 innings of MLB and he only gave up 1 run and looked good in the minors.
I say this in all seriousness I hope Tropeano comes back and BEATS the Mets!!!
Gibson who already won a game for the Phils is going against them tonight who they could have had and Wheeler who they let go and statistically is the number 3 or 4 pitcher in the league depending what stats you go by who the Mets let walk goes in game 3.
And then having to listen to delusional quotes from Conforto about getting it together?!!
3 with Phils and then 13 with Giants and Dodgers it is done as I predicted on this board from day one of this season; never believed in this turkey shoot after signing Linwhore.
Go Tropeano I wish you well and don’t blame you one bit!
His name is EICKHOFF. People who change other people’s last name to some dorky ass “cutdown” are bottom of the barrel lame.
He’s good enough for the Dodgers but not the Mets?! Jeez
@getright11 Soulless unhappy people with no lives have to criticize and try to control all others in the world because they have no real meaning in their own lives and try to gain self esteem by judging others on truly meaningless points.
Your post added nothing of value or opinion on baseball but just a personal attack on me; I will pray for you.
Don’t know why the Mets didn’t keep Trop instead of Smith or Yennsy Diaz, both of whom have options.