Brandon League Thanks Dodgers Fans On Twitter; Elects Free Agency
Brandon League has had quite a roller coaster career with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
When he was acquired via trade, he became a reliable closer for the stretch run in 2012 and he signed a three-year, $22.5 million deal that offseason. In his first year, the right-hander lost his job as closer early on in the season and was relegated to mop-up duty for most of the season. He began to draw boos from the Dodger Stadium crowd each time he came in. Then last season, League turned his fortunes around and he became a reliable arm out of the bullpen, tossing a 2.57 ERA and going back to his groundball specialist roots.
In 2015, League was shut down during Spring Training and had not yet pitched a game this season before he was designated for assignment last week. It appears the 32-year-old has elected to become a free agent after clearing waivers judging by his tweets via his personal Twitter account:
Thank you to the whole @Dodgers organization and all you die-hard #LA fans for all your support the past few years.
— Brandon League (@BrandonLeague43) July 8, 2015
It's definitely been an exciting roller coaster ride to say the least. Well, on to the next one…
— Brandon League (@BrandonLeague43) July 8, 2015
League had an option to accept a minor-league assignment had he cleared waivers, but it appears he won’t be going that route. The Dodgers still owe him the remainder of his $8.5 million salary this season and any team can sign him to the minimum.
While his shoulder issues will need surgery in the future, League was trying to get through the year with rest and by strengthening the shoulder. His velocity was down a bit in his rehab games, but he can still serve as a reliever for another team.
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So glad he’s gone. I hated him when he was with the Mariners. As a Dodgers fan, it was far worse that he went to LA. Waste of money.
I would be happier if he went to the Angels, though!