Blake Treinen Returns to the Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers re-signed relief pitcher Blake Treinen. The deal was first announced by Jeff Passan of ESPN on Twitter.

Reliever Blake Treinen and the Los Angeles Dodgers are in agreement on a two-year deal for $17.5 million with a club option that’s worth $8 million, sources tell ESPN.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 6, 2021

The 32-year old spent last season with the Dodgers. Over 27 appearances, he posted a 3.86 ERA with 22 strikeouts and a 3.15 Fielding Independent Percentage (FIP). Furthermore, the right-hander recorded one save over that sample.

Now that the Dodgers have reunited themselves with Treinen, their bullpen is one of the deepest in the game. Earlier this offseason, the team traded for Milwaukee Brewers reliever Corey Knebel. Knebel was going to be non-tendered by Milwaukee, but Los Angeles came through with a last minute deal.

Blake Treinen and the Dodgers Bullpen

With the depth in the Dodgers bullpen, there are a number of late-inning options that manager Dave Roberts could turn to. Besides the aforementioned Blake Treinen and Corey Knebel, Kenley Jansen is a pillar at the backend. However, Jansen has shown moments where he has struggled over the last few years. Thus, with this move, the Dodgers are giving themselves more depth and more options for those late innings.

Although Jansen had his moments where he struggled last season, he concluded the regular season with a 3.33 ERA over 27 appearances and led the major leagues with 24 games finished. In addition, in that sample he put up a 12.2 K/9 rate.

Collectively, the Dodgers bullpen finished with the best ERA (2.74) in the National League. Overall, that was the second best bullpen ERA in all of baseball behind only the Oakland Athletics. Over the 60-game sample, they held opposing batters to a .207 batting average and recorded a total of 258 strikeouts.

Final Thoughts on Blake Treinen

For the Los Angeles Dodgers, re-signing Blake Treinen was a major priority this offseason. While the bullpen was already deep, Treinen adds even more depth and value for the team. Furthermore, this move provides potential protection if Kenley Jansen ends up becoming a free agent after the coming season.

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