The Dodgers announced that they have re-signed right-hander Joe Kelly to a one-year, $8MM contract. Los Angeles passed on a $9.5MM club option on the ACES client last month, instead buying Kelly out for $1MM and sending him into free agency.
This will mark Kelly’s third separate stint in Dodger Blue. The reliever first joined the team on a three-year, $25MM free agent contract during the 2018-19 offseason, and after L.A. declined a $12MM club option for a fourth year of that deal, Kelly signed with the White Sox on a two-year, $17MM pact. 2023 was the last guaranteed year of that deal, and with Chicago caught in the midst of a disastrous season, the Sox moved Kelly and Lance Lynn to the Dodgers prior to the trade deadline.
Kelly had a 4.97 ERA over 29 innings for the White Sox prior to the trade, but he regained his form in his old stomping grounds with a sparking 1.74 ERA in 10 1/3 innings over 11 appearances for the Dodgers. Since Kelly’s secondary numbers with Chicago had been far more impressive than his ERA, the Dodgers bet correctly that Kelly was due some positive course-correction. For the season as a whole, Kelly posted a 4.12 ERA, 58% grounder rate, 35.7% strikeout rate, and 10.7% walk rate over 39 1/3 innings. While the walk rate is on the high side, the outstanding strikeout and grounder numbers made up for some shaky control, and Kelly’s arm is still very live at age 35, with a fastball averaging 98.9mph.
Despite these results, Kelly’s health has been a question mark, which likely factored into the Dodgers’ decision to decline that $9.5MM option. Kelly has been on the injured list eight times over the last four seasons, with three of those stints (due to forearm inflammation, elbow inflammation, and a groin strain) coming in 2023. While none of the injuries were overly serious, the cumulative IL time cost Kelly around two months of the season, and creates some doubt about how well he can hold up over the course of a full campaign and into what the Dodgers hope will be a deep run into the playoffs.
The bullpen was a big strength for the Dodgers last season, and reinforcing that strength is of particular import considering all of the questions L.A. is facing in the starting rotation. The Dodgers will surely add some depth and possibly even some superstar arms to the pitching staff by winter’s end, yet obviously it helps the run prevention efforts on the whole if the relief corps has enough depth and quality to help bail out the starters. Evan Phillips will return as the closer, with Kelly joining Brusdar Graterol and Caleb Ferguson as primary setup options.
Robert Murray of FanSided originally reported that the two sides were “very close” to a deal. Jim Bowden of The Athletic first reported the terms.
Dont know how they do it. Dodgers take the most mediocre relievers and turn them into stars.
Great move, he going to be a lot better with us than he was in Chicago
His FIP was like 3.10 with the Sox lol
” mediocre division maybe”…Do you mean the NL west, the division that has the most World Series wins the last 15 yrs?….Or do you mean the NL West that had two teams win 106+ games just 3 yrs ago?..Or perhaps you mean the NL West that just had the Arizona Diamondbacks in this year’s World Series?
Mlb fan don’t be afraid to say the division thst had a team in the NLCS in 22 as well.
MLBFan
1) None of those things have anything to do with how good the division will be this year.
2) That doesn’t appear in the article. Maybe it was removed.
“Will be this year”..Since I’ve no crystal ball, I’m not really projecting how the division will do this year. I’m merely commenting on how good it’s been in the past. You can make a solid case that the NL West has been the best division the last 15+ years. My main point is, it’s hard and inaccurate to call the NL West “mediocre”.
mlbf
““Will be this year”..Since I’ve no crystal ball, I’m not really projecting how the division will do this year.”
If your argument is that you can’t tell good teams from bad teams other than by looking at their record, well, you’d know that better than I
What happened 15 years ago isn’t relevant when discussing how a team looks for the coming year.
Sorry, but the WS tournament is won by a team and not a division. It shows the strength (and a degree of luck/timing) of a team, not of a division. The same goes for 106 win seasons and number of teams with 106 wins.
If you want to determine how strong a division is, why not look at the division collective regular season record? I quickly added up the W/L averages for each division: AL East 2.772, NL East 2.618, NL West 2.494, NL Central an almost identical 2.493, AL West 2.415 and AL Central 2.210. If a division won as many games as they lost, their score would be 2.500. This is only one way of looking at the strength of a division and it is imperfect as are all the other methods, but it does give a decent idea of how strong a division is. It also suggests that the NL West was in the middle of the pack, about average and average is a synonym for mediocre.
I live in Arizona and, in my view, the D-backs did not deserve to be in the World Series. I subscribe to the apparently antiquated idea that the World Series should be about excellence and not about squeaking into the tournament and getting lucky/hot at the right time.
Skeptic – Good job!
Really all you need to do is add up the number of wins in each division, or look at the win percentage for each division. How a division’s teams does against non-divisional teams is what it’s all about. Keep it simple.
Certainly by just glancing at the standings each year, you can see a pattern. For instance last year the Dodgers won 111 games, but there was only one other team in the division with a winning record.
This year the Dodgers won 100 games, but were they really that good? Nope, they had a .654 winning percentage against the division and just a .600 winning percentage against everyone else.
Dodgers were “only” .600 against the rest of MLB teams, those outside the NL West.
Yeah, they only benefited from a weak division, what with the 97 win pace against everyone else.
Love this signing. Love this guy. He’s meant to be a Dodger until he retires. The atttude he brings alone is something I felt the team lacked before trading for him. Him and Kike both were great pickups because of the energy they both bring. Hope they bring Kike back next.
Yeah, both signings worked out really well for them last season LOL
Are you saying they didn’t?
You catch on quick…
Sorry, it just seemed odd you’d say that considering they both contributed quite a bit after being acquired by the Dodgers. In particular, Kelly pitched to an era in the 1’s and punched out 19 in 10 innings. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt though since you clearly don’t watch Dodgers games.
Their contributions made no difference in the end; hope this helps.
I’d love to see you dig in the box and face his wayward heat.
Chill with your Joe Kelly fantasies, yikes!
Joe Kelly fight club
Correa pulled a hammy after trying to sprint toward that club
Too bad Kelly was scared behind the other club members.
> Correa pulled a hammy after
> trying to sprint toward that club
Byron Buxton injury—
Strained oblique laughing at that one
Correa & Buxton pull a hammy or oblique eating their morning oatmeal.
Cry Baby Joey! Little boy who talks big, starts the fight talking, then hides behind everyone else.
He’s not someone I trust in the postseason.
The gif of his pusss face to Correa will continue to be my fantasy baseball team logo
If Joe Kelly was a dog he’d be a chihuahua
What’s wrong with that? The little guy who fights like crazy? I am sure he would probably like being called that. It’s better then being called a psychotic pit bull or something.
(And I like that you think he is chihuahua)
Subatomic….it’s time for your PRN
Kelly is a dawg that every fan base would love to have on their team.
@clippers @slidepiece
He strikes me as being more of a pantomime villain rather than a dog. Appropriate he got some goodies before Christmas. And yes, he’s a decent higher leverage reliever.
I support this statement. Joe Kelly couldn’t beat up the karate class dojo kids that Kramer was dominating.
Not bad…
His contract terms haven’t been reported yet…
probably $6-7m per year, not much of an overpay at all.
What’s the overpay? Sounds like you have insider info on what he’s re-signing for since it’s not known publicly or mentioned above.
Kelly might win the “biggest personality relative to on-field performance” award among active MLB players. He brings such a wild energy to any club, I’ll always love him for his hijinks in Boston.
Why? the guy’s a gas can
Flat fastball pyromaniac
He will have a great first 6 weeks and then be terrible or hurt.
VCTM
“Big overpay”
Definite knowledgeable take here
VCTM
“35 and injury prone is enough for me.”
Simple thoughts für simple minds
VCTM
“Look in the mirror genius Kelly injury prone most of career”.
Again. Simple thoughts for simple intellects.
What about him being injury prone means that he’s overpaid considering you don’t know what he’s being paid
RE VCTM
Reported and muted
Its going to be under his option obviously which was 9 million. Not even possible to be an overpay.
@vince…. “Hurt a lot,” seems to be something you know a bit about….is it mostly above shoulders for you?
8 mill difference on the option year since he was bought out for 1mil.
I still want a Joe Kelly-face shirt.
Probably reading the fine print on the contract. That’s why it’s very close to being signed.
I love Dodger fans claiming Joe Kelly as their own. It’s a pretty good example of how loosely that fan base follows MLB.
Every Dodger remembers the pussface, none of them remember the 6 scoreless innings and 60% strikeout rate he put on them in the 2018 World Series.
I’m a longtime LA native and huge Dodger fan, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out the appallingly low baseball IQ our fan base sports. It’s readily apparent at the ball games as well as the various forums around the internet.
What do you mean “claim him as their own”. You can’t like a player who wasn’t homegrown? Every fan remembers the 2018 World Series. But are they not allowed to sign free agents? By your logic Broncos fans should hate Russell Wilson because he beat team in the Super Bowl years ago
I remember 2018 and I also remember Kelly intentionally drilling Hanley Ramirez in the ribs when he was on the Cards. Baseball has a short memory.
You can go back a little further to game 1 of the NLCS in 2013. I’m just glad that there’s almost no chance that he’ll break any Dodgers ribs this year.
For this very reason, I would have preferred that Andrew not re-sign Kelly
One of the most cringe players in the game today. Perfect fit for this team.
@Neon
You must be a gnats fan or madre fan?
My reaction looks like the Vince McMshon meme, but out of orde
“Dodgers” – interest piqued
“close” + interest intensifies
“to signing” – super interested
“Joe Kelly” – meh, ok
99scf
“I love Dodger fans claiming Joe Kelly as their own. It’s a pretty good example of how loosely that fan base follows MLB.
Every Dodger remembers the pussface, none of them remember the 6 scoreless innings and 60% strikeout rate he put on them in the 2018 World Series.”
Yes. They’d definitely want him on the team more if he’d sucked in that series. Makes a ton of sense.
Dodgers haven’t improved their team this offseason. So far. Still time to acquire pieces.
any time you add a proven pitcher with a winning track record that throws100 mph you’ve improved the team.
Yeah, slackers, the off season is almost over [ looks at calendar ] before the Winter Meetings have even started.
Yes, still time to make acquisitions. Meanwhile they’ve spent a lot of money re-acquiring guys they should have let walk but hey, first round knockout next October is the motto (checks history).
Well, this certainly isn’t moving my needle on Winter Meeting Eve.
A whole article on their bullpen being a strength last year and not one word on their best reliever… poor Brais… what’s a guy gotta do…
He would have been a good addition to the Cardinals bullpen. Oh well maybe Jordon Hicks will want to come home
If it’s a one year lower base with incentives to account for injury history….
then Nice!
Who drops from the 40-man or is a trade coming? If there is not trade, I suppose it’s Varland or Hudson. Guessing Varland – who I imagine would get another chance somewhere via Rule 5 draft.
Likely Varland. Maybe I missed news on Hudson, but I thought he was still weighing to retire or to try another comeback.
The Athletic is reporting g that it’s a 3 year deal.
I see that but no way is that accurate. Unless it’s a three year for a total of three million all incentive deal! Everyone else is reporting a one-year.
Joke Ellie
“Big overpay”.
When you have no real takes, just go negative and attack the team, owner or GM as foolish with money or “cheap”, right?
lol sounds like politics to me … who needs facts just say it before anyone knows anything and attack so it has to be true. control the narrative?
and hader pitched only 12 inning more and got 14M and he going to get probably 21M next season and probably be around the same number of innings. Horrible argument.
but the biggest overpay was probably vince coleman now thats someone that was insanely injury prone. 10 years of missing atleast 1/3 of the season mostly he was missing 1/2 the season. Shoot he probably makes Stanton look like the epitome of health.
Your name is incomplete (fittingly) on the app.
Glad that Kelly is back. Now go out and bring Justin Turner back to finish his career here in Dodger Blue‼️
This dude is such a punchable troll
Just glad the Dodgers took him back, I can see the ‘brain trust’ in Chicago trying to bring him back otherwise.
Count me among the army of Dodgers fans who just love this guy to a degree that can’t be purely statistically justified. Same with Kiké; the game makes me just a little bit happier when I see them on the screen.
So guess no Ohtani for Dodgers since Kelly already has his uniform number.
Forget his stats. There is not another teammate I’d rather have. Dude was ready to fight the Yankees and Astros. he’d have a lifetime contract if I owned a team.
Joe Kelly is still a wuss.
If he passes the physical, can he pass the mental?
I wanted Ryan Brasier to return. I hope this move doesn’t preclude that. Brasier will probably end up getting a multiyear deal elsewhere.
Finally someone else who knows talent!!! Hop on board plenty of room on my wagon!!!
Of course this piece of human garbage re signs he knows he can’t cut it anywhere else and the Dodgers can buy whoever the heck they want
Nitpicking,but… if he resigns as a free agent, is that really considered a third “stint” if it’s continuous?
Would be third contract, so I would say, yes.
Technically on and off team roster 3 times.
So Clayton Kershaw, despite playing for no other major league teams, is in his 3rd or 4th “different stint” with the Dodgers?
In the NPB, it is traditional that the ace pitcher is assigned #18. If the Dodgers are fortunate enough to land Shohei, the Dodgers clubhouse manager should offer it to him before asking Joe to surrender his #17. I think Vargas was #18 when he was on the big league club so there shouldn’t be any problem with that. Let Mariachi Joe keep his number.
@fffbbb – You forget that Trout wears the number Ohtani prefers.
great move for their first round elimination
Does this mean the Dodgers are out on Ohtani? Since Joe Kelly wears #17?
The face of the Dodgers
He must really love it there considering how much they Jack him around
So wait a minute…His option was for 9.5 million, they bought him out for 1 million, then spent 8 million? All that work to save 500k?!
My exact thoughts.
Something doesn’t add up, literally. Perhaps the $8mm figure is too high. Hard to imagine Friedman would pay that much for a season of injury prone Joe Kelly.
That 500k could be enough to keep them under the tax. Look at the Angels from last year, made it under by a hair
I am not sorry to see any of these guys go. I just hope they plan on using the payroll savings on a player that is worth the money..
Yikes. Surprised at the amount of 8 million if not of it is based on innings incentives. Feels like a premium to get a one-year deal done but that’s all Kelly should be getting at this point so not sure why they’d have to pay a premium. Or file another one under Friedman likes to pay injured relievers too much money.
Kelly’s stuff is electric. But yeah, he can go on some wild streaks. I remember during the 2020 season, he threw ~20 curveball in a row in an outing. Bizarre. Might have been because he was injured. Here’s hoping he’ll stay healthy for a deep playoff run.
Saved a cool $500K and, if I’m not mistaken, $1.5 million in AAV for this year’s team salary.
Sounds like an overpay for an injury prone reliever. Should have resigned Braiser and Miller.
Bulldog
The half dozen people that bought Joe Kelly’s #17 jersey are gonna be mad it’s irrelevant jersey now. Wonder if the team store at Dodgers Stadium would exchange it for an Ohtani jersey or whatever number Charlie Kelly’s half brother chooses.
I read somewhere that #18 is symbolically awarded to the ace pitcher on NPB clubs. The Dodgers should respectfully offer this to Shohei first. If he insists on #17, maybe Joe can trade it for a new Porsche.
I guess we’ll see once they make it official with the press conference
All that to save 500K when you just signed Ohtani for 700 million?? Seriously??
Coop, it is beyond laughable for sure! I had to do the math 6 times to make sure I was really understanding everything correctly!
Saved 500k, gotta penny pinch where you can.
Well, they saved enough money to pay Ohtani’s salary for one game. Baby steps.
Joe Kelly fight club!!!!!!
Maybe this one has significant deferred payments too. Present value could be a lot lower and the Dodgers saved significant coin. 😀