Dodgers: Reliever Nate Jones Talks About What Brought Him to LA

New Dodgers’ reliever Nate Jones found himself in an unexpected spot a little less than three weeks ago. He was in the middle of a solid campaign — at least on paper — but was released by the Atlanta Braves who were concerned about all the walks Jones had allowed over his 12 games.

The reliever turned an unexpected situation into an enviable one. Here was a free agent with a 3.48 ERA on the open market in a year where many teams are struggling with injuries and ineffectiveness, particularly in the bullpen.

Of course, the Dodgers were no exception. 

On Saturday afternoon while talking about his foray into free agency, Jones told reporters that while he had options, LA really made him feel the most wanted.

We had a couple other teams involved, but the Dodgers seemed most enthusiastic and literally said, ‘We want you to be a part of this team.’ That means a lot, too, when the team actually cares about you and has done the research and know who you are and what I bring to the table.

With Brusdar Graterol, Scott Alexander, and Corey Knebel still missing in the bullpen, it made all the sense in the world for Andrew Friedman to take a flier on the right-hander.

Jones made his first appearance with the Dodgers on Friday night in San Francisco, recording 5 outs in a scoreless debut. 

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