Los Angeles Dodgers: Predicting the three biggest moves this winter
By Jason Reed
1. Sign Blake Treinen
Blake Treinen was one of the best relievers in Major League Baseball in 2018. He was a huge reason why the Oakland Athletics were successful without any real starting rotation and even finished the year sixth in American League Cy Young voting and received an MVP vote.
Treinen had an incredible 0.78 ERA in 2018 in 80 and one-third innings pitched. He finished with 38 saves and 100 strikeouts. To put into perspective how good Treinen was, he became the first pitcher ever to post and ERA below 0.80 in at least 80 innings.
Nobody has even been close. The last pitcher to finish with an ERA under 1.00 in at least 80 innings was Ferdie Schupp in 1916.
Treinen was not as successful last season and the Oakland Athletics did not tender a contract to the reliever. Treinen finished last season with a 4.91 ERA.
As Kenley Jansen continues to be a question mark and with some starters moving out of the bullpen into the starting rotation, the Dodgers need some bullpen help and Treinen would fit the billing perfectly.
Sure, he had a bad year last season but you don’t have a year as historical as his 2018 was by accident. Treinen has the stuff and if he is just half of the player he was in 2018 then it is a huge win for the Dodgers.
The Dodgers are a team that players go to and oftentimes pitch better. The team will find out what works and what doesn’t and with advanced scouting can return Treinen to form.