Dodgers Reportedly Keeping Tabs on All-Star Relievers Brad Hand and Liam Hendriks
If the Dodgers have one weak spot on their team heading into the 2021 season, it would be the bullpen. They were able to piece together a few clutch pieces to get them to a World Series Championship, but now they’re losing some guys.
If they want to continue to compete at the highest level, you can expect the Dodgers to add at least 1 major reliever. According to Jon Morosi of MLB Network, Brad Hand and Liam Hendriks are big names that Los Angeles is keeping an eye on.
One team to watch here in the category of rich get richer, the Los Angeles Dodgers. Because they have Blake Treinen, of course he had a really key role in that pen, sometimes closing sometimes setting up. But now, Treinen is a very highly-coveted free agent himself. So I’m told the Dodgers are very closely tracking the market for both Hendriks and Hand. In some respects, Brad Hand would be an ideal compliment to Kenley Jansen…They’ve got enough great players, but they’ve got one more if they can get Hand or Hendriks.
If the Dodgers were able to add 1 of these guys, their bullpen would almost immediately be an upgrade over 2020. Treinen was very effective for them throughout the course of the season, but he was not without his faults. Hand might fit better with their desire to give different looks in the later innings, but they can’t go wrong either way.
Hendriks has been an absolute force out of Oakland’s bullpen over the last 2 seasons. He can throw multiple innings per game and strike out batters at a rate that would be better than most of the Dodgers relievers. Hendriks had the best fWAR of any reliever in the American League in 2020, and adding that to Los Angeles’ bullpen would be huge.
On the flip side, Brad Hand is no slouch himself. The arm slot that he offers from the left-handed side could be an incredible compliment to the Dodgers back-end relief team. Hand could even supplant Jansen as the closer if things were to go south for Kenley.
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If things were to go South for Henley? Really? Jansen is erratic and too stubborn to admit he has lost velocity but more importantly he has been erratic with his command. Watch Jansen pitch, on many pitches he is not close to the catcher’s target.
Hand or Hendricks are great ideas to fill the Bullpen. I am hoping they use some of the young talent that does not make it in the rotation like May or Gonsolin to fill the bullpen. May will get better with the experience last season as will Gonsolin.
They have guys on the Farm like Uceta, Grove, and Knack that may slot into the Bullpen.
The Dodger lost North of $100 Million last year according to Kasten. They may be very cautious signing anyone with Seager’s contract this year and Bellinger and Buehler coming up next. No one knows how next season will go with the Pandemic.
I like Hendriks better than Hands, Hands loss of velocity worries me. Hendriks sign for 3 years or 2 with the clubs’ option for a third year. Then bring back Treinen and the bullpen would be set. The third base situation can be Rios or Turner than just work on Seager’s contract extension.
Sign Hendriks or Hand, try to re-sign Treinen & then someone like either Whit Merrifield or Tommy LaStella if unable to re-sign Kiké Hernandez.
Can either Hendricks or Hand be our closer for 2021 or is Graterol ready to take over?
Graterol needs to miss more bats and strike out more hitters than he did in 2020. For a guy who reaches 100+ MPH hitters still make solid contact against him. IMHO a closer has to have some better swing and miss stuff. Gaining experience will certainly help, as he was just 21 years old in 2020.
The dodgers can get both and resign Treinen if they want to. If Hand isn´t getting 10M a year, then neither of the other two will get that much, and they´ll be cheaper. All 3 could sign for a total of about 20-25M per year, and the bullpen would be unstoppable.
Graterol needs to sharpen up his slider for a swing and miss pitch to become the closer