LA Sports Hub
Fansided

Los Angeles Dodgers sign free agent Joe Kelly

By Jamaal Artis

LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 26: Joe Kelly #56 of the Boston Red Sox delivers the pitch to Max Muncy #13 of the Los Angeles Dodgers during the sixth inning in Game Three of the 2018 World Series at Dodger Stadium on October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 26: Joe Kelly #56 of the Boston Red Sox delivers the pitch to Max Muncy #13 of the Los Angeles Dodgers during the sixth inning in Game Three of the 2018 World Series at Dodger Stadium on October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The first move for the Los Angeles Dodgers this offseason is in the books. Welcome: Joe Kelly.

The Los Angeles Dodgers made their first move of the Major League Baseball Winter Meetings. A name that should be familiar to Dodgers fans for a couple of reasons.

The Dodgers signed free agent reliever Joe Kelly to a purported deal that pays him 25 million over 3 years. Kelly faced the Dodgers during this past World Series while pitching for the Boston Red Sox.

Kelly had a 4.39 ERA for the Red Sox during the regular season making 73 appearances good for fourth in the American League.

It was during the playoffs that Kelly really shined, he went 11 1/3 innings allowing just one run. In the World Series Kelly pitched in all five games going untouched in six innings while striking out 10 Dodgers.

The right-handed Kelly is a 30 year old former starter that has become a force out of the bullpen, relying mostly on an electric fastball that he averaged 98.1 mph but can touch triple digits.

Infamously Dodgers fans know Kelly from his time with the St. Louis Cardinals. In 2013 in the National League Championship Series, Kelly a starter hit the Dodgers Hanley Ramirez with a fastball that broke a rib. With Ramirez hobbled the rest of the series the Dodgers offense floundered and lost the series in six games.

The Dodgers adding Kelly will help a bullpen that struggled finding a bridge to closer Kenley Jansen last year. At times the setup role was done by committee which resulted in middling results.

During the playoffs the bullpen seemed to right the ship, but in the World Series the bullpen was the main culprit in blowing leads and games.

Jansen is also coming off his second heart surgery of his career this off-season, Kelly could offer the Dodgers some insurance if Jansen has any setbacks or deals with bouts of ineffectiveness.

This is the second year in a row the Dodgers sign a reliever in free agency, last years signing Tom Koehler was a complete bust as he never pitched for the Dodgers after going down with an injury in Spring Training.

The signing of Kelly shores up the bullpen for the Dodgers, hopefully it doesn’t blow up in their face like the Koehler signing. As for Kelly if he wants Dodgers fans forgiveness, he’ll need to be the reliever he was in the World Series and not the regular season.

Home/Los Angeles Dodgers