2018 Dodgers Player Reviews: Pat Venditte

Pat Venditte signed a minor league contract with the Dodgers in November of 2017. He began the 2018 season in AAA Oklahoma City before being called up in May.

Venditte was one of the most novel additions to the roster this year, having made headlines in 2015 as a rare “switch pitcher.” Debuting with the Oakland Athletics, his ability to pitch competently with both hands was instantly one of the best baseball stories of that year.

Regular Season Recap

The Dodgers bullpen was easily the most unstable facet of the team in 2018, even before Kenley Jansen’s heart scare in Denver. Venditte only saw action in 15 games, but he still deserves recognition for being statistically one of its best contributors. In 15 games and 14 innings pitched, he managed a 2.57 ERA. Unfortunately, he was used mostly in losing efforts, his first few games coming during the hellish mid-May losing stretch against Cincinnati and Miami.

He also deserves recognition for racking up frequent flyer miles after being optioned to and recalled from AAA an impressive seven times.

From August forward, he appeared in 10 games and allowed no runs. He also became something of a magician during this stretch by assuming an unexpected role of a stopper by allowing none of the 9 runners he inherited to score.

How’d He Do in October?

Despite being technically the most versatile asset in the bullpen, Venditte was left off the playoff roster in each round.

What Lies Ahead

Venditte won’t be seeing action for L.A. in 2019. Instead, he’s back in the Bay Area, this time with the Giants. Farhan Zaidi, who loved to bring former A’s to the Dodgers, made Venditte his first former Dodger-turned-Giant. Could Zaidi become a reverse Ned Colletti? We’ll see…