What Free Agents Will The Dodgers Keep Or Let Go For 2014: Part 4

In our last of the four-part Dodger free agent predictions, we took a look at three relief pitchers who had solid seasons with the Dodgers, with two who were picked up during the summer.

The Dodger bullpen got it together when there were defined roles as Brian Wilson became the set-up man with Marmol and Howell pitching in middle relief. Here are our predictions for whether or not the Dodgers will retain these three arms:

Brian Wilson

Talk about a great pick-up.

In 2013, the Dodgers paid Brian Wilson $1 million for every earned run he gave up. And it only cost them $1 million.

In 19.2 innings pitched between the regular and postseason, Wilson allowed just 12 hits while striking out 21 hitters on his way to an ERA of 0.46 this season.

The question here isn’t whether Los Angeles is interested in bringing him back, the only question is whether he’s set on closing again — or if the Dodgers can pay him enough to make him forget about that.

Long plagued by a terrible bullpen this season, it would be tough for the Dodgers to let Wilson walk away and create a massive hole in their bullpen next season.

Prediction: Re-signed

J.P. Howell

Probably the most underrated arm in the Dodgers bullpen, the veteran posted a 2.03 ERA this season in 67 appearances.

The left-hander struggled to begin the season with a 4.82 ERA, but from April 27 on, Howell allowed just nine earned runs in 54.1 innings — good for a 1.49 ERA.

Like Wilson, Howell was one of a few consistent performers in a shaky bullpen and it would be great to have him back next season.

Prediction: Re-signed

Carlos Marmol

You won’t find a bigger Marmol fan out there than me and fortunately, that’s not saying a whole lot.

On the surface, I understand the concerns about Marmol’s inconsistency, but ultimately, I think Marmol is a pretty good pitcher out of the bullpen.

The question for Marmol will be how much he’s looking to get paid this off-season. If he’s available at a discount, I think your bullpen is in good shape if Marmol is one of the lower-end arms at your disposal.

Marmol has the ability to pitch multiple innings, strikes out a lot of guys and has some nasty stuff. Obviously the walks are a major concern, but, like I said, if they can re-sign him to be at the bottom of their bullpen, I think he’d be a nice addition.

Prediction: Re-signed

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In case you missed it, here’s the Dodgers pool celebration, PLUS Yasiel Puig’s celebration dance off!

http://youtu.be/LknQOqL7uME