Dodgers: Five players on the bubble for the postseason roster
By Jason Reed
The Los Angeles Dodgers have welcomed many new faces during September call-ups. With these new faces have presented options to be made for October.
Well, it has been an interesting month of September for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Although the team did clinch their fifth consecutive NL West title on Friday night, the month itself has still presented many new questions. Los Angeles lost 11 consecutive games to start the month and have played to a 7-15 record.
Although there have been some hardships, there have also been some positives to dwell on as well. Cody Bellinger and Clayton Kershaw are healthy once more, with the only real significant injury being Corey Seager’s elbow *knocks on wood.
With the wide array of positives and negatives, the Dodgers have decisions to make on the NLDS roster and there are five players in particular that are on the bubble.
RP Pedro Baez
Four weeks ago, Pedro Baez was one of the best bullpen arms in all of baseball and seemed to be a shoo-in for late game roles as a bridge to Kenley Jansen. Now, Baez making the postseason roster seems to be a stretch as he has had one of the worst meltdowns imaginable.
On paper, Baez still seems to be a great option. With a season ERA of 3.17, common wisdom would tell us that he should make the postseason roster with ease. However, if you are a Dodger fan, you know the kind of September that Baez is having.
Baez has matched his run total in the month of September with the entire rest of the season at 12. Despite making seven appearances, Baez has only thrown four and one-thirds innings with a 20.77 ERA. With a 0-4 record, at least some of the blame for the Dodgers’ struggles can be pointed at Baez.
While Baez still is the same guy he was four months ago, and it may just be a mental block at this point, it may be best if this meltdown stays in October. While he does have the potential to dominate, that flip of the coin is not worth the risk.
Verdict: Does not make the postseason roster.