March 19: Jon Heyman of MLB Network provides the details on the contract, with Duffy making $3MM this year. Next year’s option is valued at $7MM but can be increased based on Duffy’s performance this year. Duffy will add $500K by pitching in 5, 10 and then 15 games in 2022, as well as for throwing 5, 10 and 15 innings, a total of $3MM, increasing the value of the option to $10MM. If that option were to be picked up, Duffy could earn an extra $6MM in incentives next year: $750K for reaching each tier of 100, 110, 120 and 130 innings pitched, as well as $1MM for reaching each of 140, 150 and 160 frames.
March 17: The Dodgers continue to bolster their roster via free agency, reportedly agreeing to terms on a one-year deal with Danny Duffy. The contract, which is pending a physical, also contains a club option for the 2023 season. Duffy is an ACES client.
It marks a return to Southern California for the left-hander, whom the Dodgers acquired from the Royals in advance of last summer’s trade deadline. Duffy, unfortunately, never could take the field in Dodger blue. At the time of the trade, he was on the injured list with a flexor strain in his forearm. The hope had been that he could return late in the season for a club that was obviously headed to the playoffs, but that proved not to be. He suffered a setback in early September and was shut down for the year.
That setback will prevent him from making his team debut for at least a few more months. After the season, Duffy told Andy McCullough of the Athletic he underwent surgery to repair the flexor tendon in October. As of the time of that early-December conversation, Duffy was targeting a June return to a big league mound. He conceded it was likely he’d work in relief this year as a means of keeping his innings in check before lengthening back out into a rotation role in 2023 and beyond.
Whatever role he takes on, a healthy Duffy figures to be a boon to the Dodgers pitching staff. Before his 2021 season was derailed, the 33-year-old was off to a nice start with the Royals. He’d worked 61 innings with a stellar 2.51 ERA. His peripherals weren’t quite so superlative, but he posted quality strikeout and walk numbers (25.8% and 8.7%, respectively) and owned a capable 4.14 SIERA.
Prior to last summer’s trade, Duffy had spent his entire career with Kansas City. A former third-round draftee, he cemented himself as a valuable member of the rotation by their pennant-winning 2014 season. Over a four-year run from 2014-17, he pitched to a 3.47 ERA/3.87 FIP in 612 innings. That included 136 2/3 frames of 4.08 ERA ball for the World Series-winning club in 2015.
Beginning in 2018, Duffy’s production began to tick downward. His walk and home run rates both increased, and he posted an ERA north of 4.00 in each season. His fastball velocity, which had averaged nearly 96 MPH at his peak, dropped to a bit more than 92 MPH by 2019-20. Last season, before he went down with injury, Duffy’s arm speed bounced back somewhat. His heater came in at 93.7 MPH on average, and Duffy’s swing-and-miss rates saw a corresponding spike. Last year’s 13.6% swinging strike rate was a personal high, more than two percentage points above the league mark for starters.
That intrigued the L.A. front office enough they traded for him last summer, and their interest is apparently continued. That Duffy won’t be ready until midseason is less of a concern for the Dodgers than it might be for other clubs around the league, since Los Angeles looks as good a bet as any to be playing meaningful games late in the year. Even if he’s forced to work in relief, Duffy could be a valuable option for skipper Dave Roberts down the stretch and into potential postseason play. For his career, he’s held opposing left-handed hitters to a meager .218/.277/.318 line. That could make Duffy a particular weapon if leveraged into more favorable match-ups in shorter stints.
Specific terms of the deal aren’t yet known, although the presence of the club option would seem to give Los Angeles further long-term upside. The Dodgers signed Jimmy Nelson, himself rehabbing from elbow surgery, to a one-year deal with a 2023 option earlier this week. Duffy presumably secured a loftier guarantee than Nelson’s $700K salary, but the pacts follow a similar logic of giving the Dodgers a shot at a late-season run from a talented but currently injured hurler with the chance to keep him in the fold for a second season.
The Dodgers have been aggressive in recent days as they look to cement themselves as the team to beat in the National League. They reunited with Clayton Kershaw last week, then agreed to terms with Freddie Freeman on a six-year contract last night. Those deals pushed the team’s 2022 luxury tax tab north of $277MM, in the estimation of Jason Martinez of Roster Resource. Because they exceeded the CBT last season, the Dodgers will be subject to escalating fees as a second-time payor. They’ll be taxed at a 30% rate for every dollar spent between $230MM and $250MM, a 42% clip on overages between $250MM and $270MM, a 75% rate on overages between $270MM and $290MM and a 90% tax on all expenditures north of $290MM.
Mark Feinsand of MLB.com first reported the Dodgers and Duffy were nearing agreement. Robert Murray of FanSided reported they had reached an agreement on a one-year deal with a 2023 option, which Fabian Ardaya of the Athletic specified was a club option.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Joseph Gonzalez
The royals screwed up by not dealing duffy and merrifield when they had the chance
MeetTheMets41
the article says the royals traded duffy to LAD before the most recent trade deadline…
Shaun owens
I thought la got him last July in a trade
Samuel
@ Joseph Gonzalez;
Along with Salvador Perez, Whit Merrifield is a Royals team leader.
Try to keep up, else return to your computer baseball app and your rotisserie league team.
Joseph Gonzalez
Ahh yes those two team leaders have sure done plenty for the team since they fell off again. They could have started the rebuild sooner if they were traded when they had higher value. What is there to keep up with ?
Samuel
I don’t think you comprehend how quality ML FO’s put teams together, and the roles players have on the field and in the clubhouse.
The Braves kept Freddie Freeman through their rebuild, and even before the youngsters came up they signed Nick Markakis to join Freeman as a team leader. That worked well.
I’m sure you would have told them they could have gotten some good prospects for them.
So how’s your rotisserie league team look for this year?
bigjonempire
Fantasy Leaguers have nothing but respect for Merrifield and Perez, don’t lump him in with us!
noiro
You don’t watch the Royals, do you? You just throw flames at the Royals. The Royals will be back in the playoffs in 2023, get back on board before then.
Joseph Gonzalez
Perez in particular could get a boat load in return. 4 years of remaining team control after the year he had last season ? They will be insane not to try it.
rodcarew
Being a Twins fan, I agree. I have always liked the Royals and love going to games there.
TLB2001
Dayton Moore would be burned in effigy in power & light if he traded Salvador Perez.
holycowdude
They’ll trade him in 3 years once Melendez is ready to take over Salvy…and once Salvy has had a full season to mentor him.
Joseph Gonzalez
Perez will be around 35 years old by then if I’m not mistaken and his production could potentially have taken a big dive by that point as well. Look how long it took the royals just to have a small competitive window, do they want it to be that long again ? Perez would get a kings ransom right now
RoyalsFanAmongWolves
No thanks! Salvador Pérez is the face of the franchise and he is well beloved in Kansas City . saying trade salvy is like saying that Kansas City Chiefs should trade Patrick Mahomes for a bunch of first day nfl draft picks! It’s not going to happen.
brodie-bruce
@royals he is also a guy you keep because what he mean to a staff, c is a hard position to gauge because you can’t just look at a stat sheet got to look at the intangibles too
fox471 Dave
Samuel,
Yikes! A bit harsh. Let’s tone it down a notch, shall we?
frankiegxiii
How dare you speak to the king of fantasy sports like that!
Samuel
@ fox471 Dave;
Only responding in kind.
Rsox
They dealt Duffy last summer and got a pair of lotto tickets out of the deal–which is more than the Dodgers got out of it.
I’m sure Dayton Moore could have dealt Merrifield and Salvador Perez for that matter dozens of times but the team is better with them as leaders as they usher in the next waive of prospects that should help them contend again (Witt Jr., Pratto, Melendez, Isbel, Lacy)
Joseph Gonzalez
I meant they should have traded him a few years ago when he was at peak value
Rsox
Duffy, like Matthew Boyd in Detroit never truly had “peak value”. Duffy was actually having his best season last season before he got injured so that’s as close to trading him at his peake as they were going to get
Joseph Gonzalez
Imo they should have dealt him after 2016
jk
your right! how dare they try to contend!
BeansforJesus
You knew halfway through 2016 that Duffy was at peak value and should be traded? Contending World Series champions should trade him because he was obviously at his zenith according to what?
It’s so rare to find someone with 20/20 hindsight.
BeansforJesus
I say halfway through because his august and sept in 2016 had him posting an era around 7
jonbluvin
@Rsox They received one player from the Dodgers in that trade. Not two.
nmendoza7
Budgets : Off
You Can Put It In The Books
Lolz
VonPurpleHayes
Geez. Leave some for the rest of us.
You Can Put It In The Books
BREAKING: Dodgers Sign Preller’s Wife As Dodger-Dog Vendor
Mickey777
Would have been a nice signing for the Yanks.
You Can Put It In The Books
Would have been the Marlins #1 by June.
nmendoza7
“the Marlins are bad and have no talent because I don’t pay attention to them, I’m so funny!”
You Can Put It In The Books
Just living rent-free in your head, dude.
HalosHeavenJJ
Nice move. Dodgers needed some pitching depth. As odd as that was to type after the last several years.
Cody1981
Royals last won a 162 game championship in 2015 the Dodgers 1988…think about that
nmendoza7
Because the Dodgers had control over the entire world’s health crisis and how the season was decided, yep dude.
Cody1981
What about the other 34 years?
fox471 Dave
Cody 1981: a sad, envious little puppy.
Cody1981
Envious of what the dodgers 60 game
Championship or the Padres zero championships ever?
socalbum
Nothing but a whiner who conveniently fails to credit the team that won the 2020 postseason. Just another jealous whiner.
rodcarew
IMO, they should’ve canceled the 2020 season so that whoever won the World Series doesn’t have that hanging over their head.
tstats
Or we could be adults and just say oh yeah that’s a season!
Cody1981
2020 is an asterisk 60 games isn’t a legit season just like the Dodgers are the least successful team in sports history…spending the most money by a long shot and having the greatest advantage..while having zilch to show for it…The Royals on the other hand are the only true small market to win a World Series the past 20-25 and they were 1 game away from doing it back to back
Ya'll a bunch of salty crybabies
How’d your team do in 2020? Couldn’t even win the WS in a shortened season. Losers!
Dustyslambchops23
I’m neither a dodgers nor royals fan, but the idea that 2020 didn’t count is silly.
In baseball playoffs are everything, a new season. Dodgers won the postseason that year. Unless you argue that the dodgers wouldn’t have made the playoffs in a full 162 game season, there’s no asterisk or controversy.
Ps royals have missed the playoffs in 95% of seasons since their 85’ World Series, so I’d prob chill on comparing franchises
Cody1981
Even if you do count 2020 as a legit championship the royals still have just as many World Series titles since 1985 as the Padres and dodgers do combined …spending probably a quarter of the money…just think how many they would have with the la tv market money the dodgers have at their disposal
Ya'll a bunch of salty crybabies
Go to sleep, Linda.
Cody1981
Truth hurts Karen doesn’t it? Can’t deal with real facts can you
Cody1981
You should change your icon to third of a World Series trophy Arthur .:.that’s all the dodgers have since 1988
Chief Two Hands
Stop whining, Cody. Damn, you sound like a little girl.
sdbaseballguy
The Royals have 1 Championship in 53 seasons and 3 winning seasons in the past 17. Need I say more? Wait, a lifetime .479 winning percentage and 1 hall of famer. Nothing says success like those numbers.
Cody1981
The Padres have zilch and the royals won in 1985 and 2015 and pennants in 2014 and 1980…so how’s that 1 again?
Cody1981
Also greinke and Beltran should go in as royals…
HalosHeavenJJ
I’d say Beltran isn’t going in due to cheating but Papi just got in.
cadagan
Cody, I am a fan of none of these teams. But your argument is embarrassing. Probably because you were baited. But it sounds like your argument is that your team is great because lately it has slightly less stinky breath than another.
cadagan
The Padres and kc are 2 of the lowest 6 winning % all time in mlb.
Since you are talking kc 1985. Buddy Biancala,McRae,and Brett’s ongoing hemorrhoid issues. It seems like yesterday to me….. BUT it wasn’t.
If you are making a case going back to 85 for your hof and ws. Let it go. The majority in this chat might not have been born then.
Cody1981
Per dollar spent the royals have probably been the most successful franchise in mlb history and the dodgers the worst…flags fly forever
sdbaseballguy
I’m not a Padres fan btw.
sdbaseballguy
That is a ridiculous statement. Per $ the Yankees are by far the most successful franchise and it’s not even close. They have 27 and most folks judge success as winning championships.
Enzosrevenge
Neither are most so called Padres fans…
Dustyslambchops23
2 championships
RoyalsFanAmongWolves
The Royals have two World Series championships in their history.. Why does everybody forget 1985 and George Brett? Plus they had a winning season in 1980. probably would have made it past the first round of the playoffs some of those years in the 70s if it hadn’t been for the Yankees.
stymeedone
Is he even healthy? Probably enough to pass a physical.
Rsox
According to the article Duffy was cited in December as expecting a June return. So it will be a couple of months at least before he takes the mound for them
Cosmo2
Great signing. A question mark for sure but yea.
D E
Bury him a Dodger, I guess…
Led Hoyer
Correa next. Let’s go!
HBan22
I really wish the Royals had brought Duffy back, but I can’t help but feel that this is the Royals fault. Duffy said that he wanted to be a Royal for life, several times. I’m somewhat perplexed that the Royals didn’t try harder to bring him back, but maybe they were scared off by his recent injury history. Perhaps Duffy even felt bad about not throwing a single pitch to the team he was dealt to. He seems like a pretty standup guy, so that theory could actually make some sense. Regardless, I’m a pretty big Duffy fan and will root for him regardless of what team he plays for.
RoyalsFanAmongWolves
Yes, but things and circumstances change. In fact he probably told Dayton last year if they had to trade him, trade him to the Dodgers. If I recall correctly I read or saw a video or something that Danny grew up a Dodgers fan. He also was not able to pitch for them because he had a setback. So hopefully after he’s finished his rehab for the injury he had surgery for he’ll be able to pitch well for them. And like Lorenzo Cain and Eric Hosmer he will be getting hugs when the Royals play the Dodgers this season maybe even when they play the spring training game even though he won’t be pitching in that.
Ron Tingley
Nelson and Duffy chillin in rehab gettin paid. Doyers know what their doin though
V_MartAJ
Great Depth piece
DodgerOK
Another one of Friedman’s hope they get well soon signings. He keeps hoping one of them makes him look like a genius.
mlbdodgerfan2015
Waiting for the Dodgers to sign Cole Hamels again in 3, 2, 1…
Any other injured pitcher the Dodgers targeting?
socalbum
For the Dodgers, signing talented pitchers who have been injured is a relatively inexpensive way to add pitching depth — sometimes it works, sometimes not
mlbdodgerfan2015
I don’t necessarily disagree with the strategy but when has it really worked in recent history? Nelson pitched 29 innings on an injured two-year deal. Pitched well but extremely low sample size. Knebel pitched less than 26 innings. Duffy never pitched. Hamels never pitched. Going back further, Kazmir did not work out. Same for McCarthy. Rich Hill I guess was a success, but he spent a lot of time on the DL.
BlueSkies_LA
I’m with you on this. We hear lots of comments about how these signings are smart moves, even when they come to little or nothing. Results are the test of whether they were smart. I say, if you need depth, go out and get depth. Betting on a bunch of lame horses and hoping one of the long-shots works out isn’t the same thing.
CluHaywood
This is an underrated signing by the Dodgers.
sonorawind
Why is MLBTR suddenly recycling two day old posts to the top of the ledger? Or did I accidently change my settings?
Cap & Crunch
They added new details (March 19 bolded)
sonorawind
Okay. Never noticed that before.
thunderlips
“Duffy will add $500K by pitching in 5, 10 and then 15 games in 2022, as well as for throwing 5, 10 and 15 innings”
Are the expectations that low, that he gets a bonus for pitching 5 innings, then 10 innings, and 15 innings?
What am I not getting here?
No Salary Cap For You! (Come Back One Year)
50,100, 150 sounds more likely
puigpower
They expect him to be out for a while, and pitch in relief.
yeahgo
Reliefer.So he were to pitch 20-30 innings that will be great success.If healthy he is a very good pitcher.
yeahgo
good pick for Dodgers. He will be a excellent killer against left hitting that is important for post season games. Dodgers will go to World Series that means this team is Yankees of the West.