DECEMBER 15: The signing is now official, as confirmed by Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times.
DECEMBER 11: The Dodgers will sign free-agent reliever Blake Treinen to a one-year, $10MM contract, Jeff Passan of ESPN reports. They were one of “multiple” clubs that made offers in that vicinity to the right-hander, according to Passan. Treinen’s represented by Adam Karon of Apex Baseball.
Judging by the contract he’ll receive and the multi-team interest he drew, clubs are buying into a potential bounce-back in 2020 from Treinen. He was largely a great reliever with the Nationals and Athletics from 2014-18, with the last of those seasons the highlight of his career to this point. Treinen was historically good that year, as he helped the A’s to the postseason with a microscopic .78 ERA/1.82 FIP and posted 11.2 K/9, 2.35 BB/9 and a 51.9 percent groundball rate in 80 1/3 innings of work. He added 38 saves on 43 tries for good measure.
Oakland couldn’t have expected Treinen to be that effective again in 2019, but it surely didn’t think his numbers would fall off a cliff. That’s exactly what happened, though. The 31-year-old put up a 4.91 ERA/5.14 FIP with 9.05 K/9, 5.68 BB/9 and a 42.8 percent grounder rate during an injury-limited, 58 2/3-inning showing. He also blew five saves on 23 attempts, which led the A’s to strip him of the closer role and hand it to Liam Hendriks. Furthmore, Treinen saw his swinging-strike rate fall by almost 6 percent and his home run-to-fly ball rate climb by 12 percent.
Despite Treinen’s newfound struggles, the A’s still managed to clinch another playoff berth. Treinen wasn’t a factor at that point, though, as his season ended in late September because of a stress reaction in his back. A few weeks later, the A’s decided to non-tender Treinen instead of paying him a projected $7.8MM in arbitration.
From at least a financial standpoint, it appears Treinen caught a break when the A’s cut him. Meanwhile, the Dodgers are left to hope they’ve stumbled on a potential late-game force (or at least a consistent and competent reliever). Although their overall roster is one of the envies of the league, the Dodgers did some have bullpen troubles in 2019, which ended in more playoff disappointment. Long-dominant closer Kenley Jansen had his struggles, as did big-money signing Joe Kelly. But the club will look for returns to form out of Treinen, Jansen and Kelly in 2020.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Who???
come again???
And why didn’t the A’s trade Treinin to the Yanks? I’m sure the Yanks offered something in those discussions and that would be better than the nothing the A’s get now. Better yet… Why didn’t the A’s just tender Treinin the $6.4 mill and trade him to the Dodgers? I’m sure the Dodgers would have given the A’s something in return to save $3.6 million. Considering the A’s had the ability to retain him at $6.4M and were in trade discussions with the Yanks at the time, I don’t understand why the A’s chose to receive nothing in return as opposed to something. Especially when the Yanks were willing to pay at least that much and the Dodgers were willing to pay $10 million. The Dodgers would have given something up in exchange of saving $3.6 million. From the A’s perspective, something is always better than nothing and the A’s seemed to intentionally choose nothing even though they had the ability not to.
Please!
I bet the White Sox were runner up.
I bet the cubs weren’t a runner up.
Dogbone the Flubs have to clear payroll for Baez extension. Enjoy ten more years of Javy after mlb takes the juice out of the ball.
By the way, good signing by Dodgers
Yes. because Baez was completely unheralded before the juiced ball. No one ever saw this coming from him …
Padres were the mystery team
Look out below with Baez, Cub fans. Hard rains gonna fall.
@Ty Cobb, yeah because 5 tool players only hit home runs
Where you at on this one Rick Hahn ? Cleveland will be sellers, 1 team to beat Twins to win a division. Time is now Hahn, Treinen was lights out for A’s. Better be all-in on Ryu.
anthonyd4412- Baez not close to 5 tool player. Baez good but not superstar. Baez is flashy but not a solid fielder. Baez uncomfortable to be around in the clubhouse too from what I hear.
Grebek7- heard on Korean tv news that Ryu was talking to Sox and Toronto.
Where I would agree with you, of the Cubs “core” players, Baez would be the last one I would extend.. I have to say you are dead wrong about the other issues. Baez is one of the best defensive shortstops in the game, amazing range, amazing arm, 15 DRS in a little over 1110 innings.
He is also a superstar by every definition of the word. Number one in Jersey sales… watch the Little World Series and see who everyone’s favorite player is…. Javy Baez.
He is also 4 out of 5 tools… the guy doesn’t get on base enough. If he would learn how to take a walk he’d be in the MVP discussion every year.
Some fan
I thought the Yankees said they were going to get this guy. Oh wait they broke the Steinbrenner’s sons piggy bank on Gerrit Cole…
Seriously? Football fan?
What???
I don’t understand
Not surprised
More than he was going to get in arbitration, wow.
Yeah that seems a little high. I guess they’re confident in him regaining form.
What happens to his remaining arb years?
Never mind, I thought he had two arb years left
Yeah this guys is flat out nasty should be a decent move and now he just has to throw strikes
A tall order for him for many months fwiw.
Niceeee
Great move but who closes both guys struggled
After years of dominance as the Dodgers closer, Kenley will be given some deference. I’m sure it will be a “Kenleys job to lose” type statement. The reality will be that the two will compete for the job.
The good news should be that Jansen. won’t be asked to close 3 days in a row hopefully.
Tbh, I wouldn’t mind Roberts trying May out in the closer’s role. He’s basically Kenley, but throws harder.
Wouldn’t may be in the rotation as of now?
I’ve thought May looks like a potential closer for the Dodgers since last season, as well. Future starter, but last season he looked like he could fill in for Jansen if needed.
Gonsolin was a reliever in minors before he was promoted he could close or start.
2018 or 2019? Which pitcher are they signing?
$10 million for the awful year he had last year? Yikes.
At least it is just one season, unlike the stupid contract Friedman gave Kelly last year.
Now sign Betances to 1 year with an option for 2 or 3 years.
No bad one year contracts.
One year, $200 million would be a bad one year contract.
only Yankees would sign somebody 1 year 200 million
ERA’s of 5 get you $10m per year.
Or, not being far from 0.78.
man, now I have to dislike him.
Wow. Bet he is happy the A’s didn’t keep him now
He was in demand I believe a lot of teams wanted him and La may have overpaid to get him, but it looks like a good signing.
That price is a little steep, but I definitely think he’ll have a bounce back year.
The market is nuts this year, I think the A was planning to resign him for less because of injuries and lack of control. I like the signing.
Oak screwed up. They could have given him 1/4 with 6mm in incentives. One and done for them again.
Its the A’s… They aren’t going to fork up that much for a reliever who had the numbers he did last year.
You do realize players have to actually agree to deals, right? Treinen’s reps would have hung up the phone and said see you at arbitration.
^^^this
Oh wow, they’ll get someone else to blow big games and be mismanaged by Roberts in October!
Holy crap who’s your agent? Well done guy. 10,000,000 dollars… this offseason is getting absurd.
Wow. Nice payday for Blake. If he’s anything close to 2018, watch out.
Pure money flex, $10M on a rebound guy they can cut if he’s bad—perhaps a signal to Rendon that the wallets open?
No. That makes no sense at all.
Lol
You mean to tell me you don’t think signing a reliever to a 1 year 10 million dollar deal isn’t “flexing” for Rendon?
nope
Oh great the sites biggest idiot chimes in with another terrible take!
Hi jboogerz12! Wish I could block you!
Strike four- you sound like the most unhappiest person in the world
Treinen was not good last year.
He got $10M because of 2018.
But what if he doesn’t go back to 2018?
The Dodgers have money and can cut him 2 months in.
That’s a flex.
No one was giving him that deal.
They did it to show everyone, “hey were paying big for reclamation project pitchers! We dont give a care if he stinks, we will just cut him and eat $10M while most every other team is whining about how they cant afford anyone and how $10M is a bigtime deal – but not to us! This is small potatoes, hear that….RENDON!”
Make sense now?
OR do I have to connect all the dots for you?
Oooorrrr maybe the team is trying to improve the area people like you have been complaining about for years? Just spitballing here but methinks this is a pretty good pickup.
Word is, plenty of teams were in the ballpark money-wise. He just chose the Dodgers.
But don’t let that get in the way of your noise.
Not all that different than the Angels signing Cody Allen last year. Or anybody else taking a shot on a rebound candidate.
The A’s didn’t feel like dealing him if nothing was coming back or they had enough respect for him to let him pick his own destination—given the minimal return coming back.
You know that’s what most people would conclude in this situation. I’m sorry people don’t think it’s a “flex” or whatever ridiculous nonsense you wanna say today.
Nice job laying it out. There’s just one small flaw in your argument– Dodgers management is not full of morons. Otherwise, your argument is impeccable.
already saying that there out on Rendon
Supposedly multiple teams bid in that same range and he chose the dodgers so that’s a good sign
Now bring back Ryu for 3 years or 4 if u have to. Just get it done.
pretty high risk for a one year deal
There is no such thing as a high-risk one year deal. If it doesn’t work it, no big deal, team bites the bullet for only one season and cuts ties.
Yeah, very little risk. It’s the Dodgers. What’s 10 million bucks? If he flops, he flops. They desperately need a reliable reliever.
I am perfectly fine with a deal like this. If he is anything close to his 2017-2018 form with Oakland, $10M will look like an absolute steal. Hoping he turns into Brandon Morrow circa 2017.
Sure. It beats the hell out of 25 for Joe Kelly last year.
You kind of backed into the real risk proposition. You are right, the Dodgers desperately need a reliable reliever. If they don’t get one, that’s the risk, not how much they paid him.
A reliable reliever is an oxymoron. I doubt Treinen is much more of a wildcard than signing Dellin Betances or Will Harris etc etc.
Put it this way, some relievers are more reliable than others. We’ve seen quite a few who’ve strung together many seasons of quality work and lots of throw-aways. Not so different than starting pitchers and position players.
Well, if you theoretically only have a certain amount of resources to spend on relief pitching (1om), it’s risky to put it all in for a guy who can be an absolute stud or a total disaster. Would they have been better off spreading out the risk to 2-3 pitchers? Who knows.
The concept from economics is called opportunity cost. It’s not about what you gained from making a choice, it’s about what you lost by not having made a different choice. In this case think of the roster spot as the opportunity because that’s the real constraint, much more so than the dollars. If Treinen doesn’t fill the need the Dodgers have in the bullpen then they will be looking for someone better to fill it, and the roster spot they invested in him will have become an opportunity cost. Not saying this will happen because we don’t know yet, only that we can’t say that one year deals are never a risk.
There are no bad 1-year contracts. It could be a great deal for Dodgers if not DFA or trade at dead line.
Why do people keep saying there are no bad one year deals? If they’d signed him to a $50 million deal and screwed up their luxury tax situation, that would be a bad one year deal.
It doesn’t have to be that kind of money to potentially be a bad one-year deal. A team gets only so many roster spots. If they plug someone into a spot to do a job and they fail at it, then it was a bad deal. Maybe not so much financially as in baseball terms. Some of us still care about figuring things in baseball terms.
I never said no risk. I said “minimal.” A roster spot is a “minimal” risk. The Dodgers will be giving 40 man slots to the likes of Josh Sborz and Kyle Garlick so I think that’s a bit overblown.
If he flames out the Dodgers will likely acquire another reliever at the deadline and send him on his way.
But they did not sign him for $50,000,000. So what is your point. Yes, a bad deal could be $324,000,000 for nine years. Which one do you feel carries more risk?
I never said “no risk” either. I see active roster spots as a precious limited commodity that need to be carefully managed, and from everything I’ve seen, I believe the teams do too. The additional spots on the 40-man don’t count for major league contracts so they don’t figure into the point I am making. If he flames out they will indeed be in the market for someone else when the market will be trades and castoffs. So that makes my point about opportunity cost.
so? youre still playing him, and you now have $10 million less to get better RPs at the deadline with.
Good pickup!
Strong signing. He’s had one bad year in his career, and it was injury related, not form. Even if he’s halfway between 2018 and 2019, he’s earned every dollar.
great move again letting us fans down,never heard of him.
You must have slept through 2018?
Best reliever in baseball in 2018. Struggled with health and command last year. This is a good signing for LA
It’s the only signing
Check him out he was unhittable for “A” in 2018 and was hurt most of season in 2019.
Friedman special. Overspend on bounce back talent and let proven talent slide.
What proven relievers has he missed out on this offseason?
The Giants closer for one (Will Smith). He was the surest bet out of all the FA relievers this offseason. I think the Braves shocked everyone (including Friedman) by signing him so early in the offseason. This is a gamble of sorts for the Dodgers, but since they got below the luxury tax threshold last year, this signing has ZERO impact on their ability to spend more money in free agency this year. I’ll be shocked if the Dodgers don’t sign Rendon or Donaldson and Bumgarner or Ryu as well.
Treinen is a proven talent.
That’s the spirit LBC Blue. Nothing is ever good enough.
Pomeranz>Treinwreck
Id hope so. The Padres gave him nearly 3.5 times as much.
Amazing in 2018,frustrating last year. Porbably not fully healthy, velocity was down and had terrible control. I wouldve kept him at 5 or 6 mill but 10 mill is too much
He had several offers for more than 6 mill. That what the market is this year. What you think it is than x1.5 .
Now I’m dying to see who gets Betances and for how much.
Dodgers with the same contract. I sure hope Dodgers do .
Betances will get at least $8M. Will most likely sign a 1 year ‘prove it’ deal as well, unless he is looking for security. I’m sure some team would be willing to offer 3/18 or even 3/20 to him given his track record.
For a one-year deal. Can’t complain. His 2019 is more of an outlier for his career than the norm. His norm is solid. Low-risk, high-reward deal especially since it is only a one-year deal.
2018 was an outlier too, historic season though. That said hes been varying good to great except 1st half of 2017 with nats and 2019 with A’s
Dangit. He woulda been great with Oakland.
To all the pessimists, this is actually a solid signing by the Dodgers. If they have one weakness in their club it’s the closer position. Treinen is a viable plan B should Kenley struggle again. It’s his job to lose.
Bullpen Max Muncy
um. no muncy was an average player who retooled and emerged as a dominant hitter – treinin was a dominant closer who has regressed and is looking to rebound – very different – it would be like calling david price a muncy
Bullpen Max Muncy was Brandon Morrow
Offer Morrow a minor league contract for 1 year loaded with incentives.
How about Russel Martin lol.
A pretty significant gamble but we had to see this one coming.
One year is not a gamble at all, much less a significant one, and 10mil is nothing for the Dodgers.
$10MM may not be much to the Dodgers but it’s A LOT for the ’19 version of Treinen.
Being more interested in how a player contributes to the team winning ballgames than pondering the financial impacts of any given signing, I see the gamble very differently. For Exhibit A, see: Joe Kelly. How much they paid him to fill a role is far less important than his inability to get the job done.
Yeah and I addressed the fact that one year is not a gamble at all. Joe Kelly got a multi-year deal, so there is no comparison there. So your “Exhibit A” is irrelevant.. You just conveniently focused on the second point of my post.
You might want to reread the first and last sentence of my comment rather than fixating on the second one. What was the first point of your post?
hi BlueSkyLA
I was replying to chazz comment.
Should have given this guy $325 million
What was his arb projection?
$7.8M.
All I can think is “lame” everytime I see a free agent sign with a big market team. #smallmarketfan
the A’s aren’t broke, they are a very profitable team – they choose to keep the payroll low so they let him go rather than going to arb.
and as a fan of a “big market” team ive had enough complaining by small market fans. tough luck. be a fan of another team if you think yours is so cheap.
That’s a “lame” excuse.
Good pick up for the Dodgers
Probably damaged goods.
A’s have Liam Hendricks who is as good and powerful as Treinen was in ‘18. Blake will be missed though…
Hendricks was DFA during the 2018 season which further proves how much of a roller coaster relief pitchers are.
Generally speaking, if a player has, let’s say 2 years of arbitration eligibility left and gets non-tendered, is he then free from arbitration, or does it just continue with his next team?
Can’t wait to see him implode at CHAVEZ RAVINE
I sure hope they have other arms in mind..
The thing to do would be trade an asset to get an established pen piece rather than rely on this guy whose recent record is poor. What’s so difficult about Friedman getting a real pen?
Kelly should be healthy in 2020. Roberts sent him out there when he knew he wasn’t 100 %. He only pitched to 1 batter in most outing in September. He should have been shut down for 15-21 days to get well for playoffs.
Kelly’s late season absence was a mystery ailment. It was never explained, so it’s difficult to say when he will “recover” from it, and it sure doesn’t explain his massive suckatude for a lot of the rest of the season.
LA has too many prospects and not enough places to play them. Make a trade for a proven starter/reliever! Ship Ruiz, Pederson, Lux, Gonsolin, etc. to Cleveland for a package.
Please stop. Trading any of those you named other than Joc for a relief pitcher is downright insane. Treinen is exaclty who they should sign. His peripherals are insanely good this is who you take a chance on. They don’t have a #3 starter right now or a big right handed bat other than Turner. There are bigger needs than your constant crying about the bullpen.
I cry about the pen because it’s been years! since they had a dependable pen you idiot. That’s their downfall in the playoffs. It all comes does to pitching or didn’t your mother teach you that in grade school? Moron.
They had a reliable pen in the 2015 playoff. Most of the 2016 playoff. In 2017 and 2018 they had dominant pens (including outdueling the Brewers #1 pen) but got tired when the World Series rolled around (which happens to every WS team). It has not been the issue no matter how much you want to pretend it was. Lack of offense has been their #1 downfall in this run and thats not even debatable.
The past two World Champs had mediocre pens at best. I don’t think your argument is that valid
Even more than that. Last 4 champs have had meh pens.
sign Betances, Rendon, and Ryu. It would be done then see if trades can be worked out.
With the big free agent market that he had, it seems surprising that the A’s couldn’t find a taker for him before they non-tendered him.
Exactly what I was thinking when I saw the deal he landed
That’s a huge signing for tha doyers!
Sorrye basic English is so difficult for you. D O D G E R S
Sorry*
Lol…
As I predicted. Dodgers only sign scraps and rebound type players. They were never serious contenders for the major FAs.
They offered 8/300 for Cole. That seems pretty serious, no?
I’ve asked several people who made this claim to show me where the Dodgers made Cole any offer. Nobody has come up with it yet. Care to be the first?
twitter.com/jorgecastillo/status/12048474142946754…
Boom, still got it
I’m actually digging this move by the Dodgers. Not a bad gamble, dude was lights out a couple years ago.
There is the BIG off season move. ANOTHER blah signing for someone who “use” to be good. But will not be in L.A. just like Kelley just lick Pollock just like when Greinke and Manny were a dodgers. So once again…. Win the division , loose the playoffs.
Greinke and Manny weren’t good in L.A.!?
All right, well that’s a start, Andrew Friedman…
Can probably sign trienen will Harris Betances and maybe Alex wood for the same $36 mil Cole costs
How come the A’s could not trade him
They decided to non-tender him rather than commit to arbitration for him, which was predicted to come in at just under $7M. They felt the risk of paying that (and not finding a team willing to trade for that salary) was too great so they basically released him. Once he was non-tendered, they lost all rights to him as he became a FA.
Friedman’s biggest move of the offseason LMAO.
And most likely his last move of the offseason.
You probably made a similar comment when Friedman brought in Muncy…..
One of the best in 2018, then fell apart in 2019
I’ll watch Trenein with some amount of curiousity. His peripherals confirm the bad year he had and say he wasnt unlucky.
BABIP against: .306
FIP: 5.14
XFIP: 5.01
This is one of the few times I would go against his metrics though. His year in 2018 was justifiably really good with a FIP of 1.81 and an xFIP of 2.42 so which one is the real Trienen? He has a history of other dominant years so for me last year looks like he was fighting through discomfort and his injury might confirm it.
It’s obviously risky but a one year contract helps to limit the possible damage and the upside is a right handed closer that will slam the door shut.
Peripherals, metrics, etc. just stop! Please! So derivative.
Ya, math and stats. So unoriginal. Throw in the word derative so you can dress up your non-rebuttal. That way it sounds nice and rhetorical but still actually nonsense and meaningless.
But not Bumgarner. Unbelievable. Same s..t, different year.
Yep
I think the Dodgers find out what the best players on the free agent market highest bids are and then bid just under that. Then they leak stories about their efforts to sign said player. Then they sign some obscure player and hope they get a Max Muncy or Justin Turner. I guess resigning Ryu will be our big signing again. Same s%#t…different pile.
I actually don’t think we re-sign Ryu. I bet we make trades here on out
this is one the A’s might regret