The Dodgers have signed right-hander Chris Stratton to a major league deal, per a team announcement. Right-hander Bobby Miller was optioned to the minor leagues to make room on the active roster, while right-hander J.P. Feyereisen was designated for assignment to clear a 40-man roster spot for Stratton. Stratton’s signing was first reported by Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The terms of the deal have not yet been disclosed, though it is a major league contract.
Stratton, 34, was a first-round pick by the Giants back in 2012 and made his debut in 2016. He mostly pitched as a starter during those early years in San Francisco, but he was traded to the Angels prior to the 2019 season and in the years since then has been used almost exclusively as a reliever. The right-hander has bounced between Anaheim, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Texas, and Kansas City over the years, compiling a rather pedestrian 4.63 ERA (93 ERA+) and 3.96 FIP across 406 2/3 innings of work over the past six seasons. That includes a stretch of solid middle relief work with the Pirates, Cardinals, and Rangers for whom he pitched to a 3.91 ERA (109 ERA+) with a 3.51 FIP.
The right-hander’s work with the 2023 World Series champion Rangers was enough to earn him a two-year, $8MM guarantee from the Royals prior to the 2024 season that included an opt-out opportunity prior to the 2025 offseason. Stratton’s performance in Kansas City was not exactly what the Royals were hoping for, however, and he exercised his player option for 2025 after a rough campaign last year where he posted a 5.55 ERA in 57 appearances. Things continued to go poorly for Stratton this season, as his ERA ballooned all the way up to 7.94 in 17 innings of work before he was designated for assignment and eventually released by Kansas City earlier this week.
Those rough numbers may make it seem surprising that the Dodgers would bring Stratton into the fold on a big league deal, but his peripheral numbers do offer some reason for optimism. Stratton’s .443 BABIP this year is much too high to be sustainable, and his 58.5% strand rate suggests some bad luck when it comes to sequencing as well. The righty sports an above-average ground ball rate with improved strikeout and walk rates relative to last year. If he can pitch closer to his 4.13 FIP and 4.02 SIERA going forward, he could be a valuable middle relief piece for a Dodgers club that has a whopping 14 pitchers on the injured list.
Stratton’s addition means the end of the line for Feyereisen, at least in terms of his time with the Dodgers. Feyereisen has split this year between the Dodgers and Diamondbacks, posting a lackluster 11.25 ERA in four innings of work overall. Feyereisen had a couple years of legitimate big league success, with a 1.90 ERA and a 3.44 FIP across 80 1/3 innings of work with the Brewers and Rays from 2021-22. He missed the entire 2023 season due to injury, however, and since he returned he’s struggled to a 9.00 in 15 innings. He also struggled at Triple-A with the Dodgers last year, but his brief stint with Arizona’s Reno affiliate saw him post a 2.25 ERA in ten outings. The Dodgers will now have one week to either work out a trade involving Feyereisen or attempt to pass him through waivers.
He’ll fit right in with his career stats.
Mr. Positivity strikes again.
So he’s really good and he will be injured by midnight EST today?
they need innings. it’s a temp fix, that’s all.
Prolly gets released by the end of the road trip….
Damn glad to meet ya!
I anticipate a deeply religious experience having Mr Stratton on the squad.
The Dodgers will teach him a new pitch, move him back into the rotation, he’ll win his first 10 starts, then hit the injured list just in time for their regular starters to come back from their own injuries.
Another scrub. My feeling is if you can’t get somebody that’s decent don’t get anybody at all. Pull somebody up from the minors they could use a chance
Bugster: I’m not a Dodger fan but I assume with their payroll and years of success they’ve thought through the options. They probably don’t want to put anyone else on the 40. Stratton is a free look, they’ll launch him into the sun in a week if it doesn’t work.
Pretty much this. The Dodgers rip through probably a dozen of these disposable relievers every season. None of them are special, and few of them stick around for more than a couple of weeks. One reliever who was with the Dodgers for such a short time a few years ago that he didn’t even get a uniform with his name on it. They put it on with tape. Some of it peeled off when he made his only mound appearance. No memory of who it was. One and done.
I don’t think it’s a good idea to call a kid up before he’s ready. If he gets pounded by MLB hitters, his development regresses. I’m not a Dodger fan either, but I recognize Friedman, et al, are damn smart. If they had a guy ready, or close, he’d be up.
And they brought up quite a few of those guys last year, with pretty decent success.
Those same guys aren’t doing quite as well this year, but if one or two can get back on track within a month or so, it’ll be a nice bonus for the team.
You’d think they’d have learned about signing SFGs cast-offs this year by now.
How’s Snell & Conforto working out ?
Everyone who put money on a Dodger’s repeat wetting themselves. 🫣
because they’re not 49-5 right now? Hardly.
Excellent work by Mr Deeds. 443 babip is key along with ground ball rate and k rate. Another staff writer was talking about how awful a guy with a 053 babip was.
Dodgers will be fine with this guy. Their offense he doesn’t have to be perfect. Throw more strikes to cut down on walks.
Of course they did. Why not?
Had a few bucks left in petty cash drawer.
The Royals have to pay him… Dodgers only have to pay a pro-rated minimum salary.
just another body
The key to winning championships is to eat through as many pitchers as possible. Remember, they’re just pitching fodder.
What will happen if Glasnow and Snell the talented young pitchers from 2018 who learned their slider from a well known mentor struggle to pitch during the playoffs this year?
Looks like a Farhan move here to get a scrub that has just as bad stuff as the guy optioned
Former giant first round pick to the dodgers, watch him become some magical closer
But wait, I thought the Dodger$ had the best starting staff in history, and were going to go 162-0, and Snell and Sasaki and Glasnow and Kershaw and … were going to run away with the division and sweep the post season. Instead they have to sign Stratton and start Conforto in left. Best hype money can buy.
Literally not one of those things you said is anything but you hating on the Dodgers.
Literally everything I wrote is true.
Starting staff..at the beginning of the year, that might have been some people’s opinions.
162-0 is ludicrous to even post that.
Run away with the division when you knew the Padres were good, the DBacks can score runs and the Giants aren’t that good. It may still turn out that way.
Sweep the playoffs is ludicrous as well.
Congrats, you’re hitting .250.
Also, you’re hitting .750 for being full of goose droppings.
Hey, good news for Dodger$ fans – Cavan Biggio and Kevin Pillar are now available!
already had them