The Dodgers have avoided arbitration with right-hander Corey Knebel, agreeing to a one-year deal worth $5.25MM, reports USA Today’s Bob Nightengale (Twitter link). It’s a slight bump from last year’s $5.125MM salary for the Excel Sports client. This is Knebel’s final year of arbitration eligibility, as he’ll be a free agent following the 2021 campaign.
[Related: MLBTR’s 2021 Arbitration Tracker]
Los Angeles acquired Knebel, 29, from the Brewers in a buzzer-beating trade before MLB’s tender deadline earlier in the offseason. Milwaukee had been set to non-tender Knebel before finding a last-minute taker in the Dodgers, who agreed to send a player to be named later in return. Minor league lefty Leo Crawford was traded to the Brewers once the Rule 5 Draft had passed, completing the deal.
Knebel struggled in 2020, his first season back after undergoing Tommy John surgery in early 2019. Beyond an unsightly 6.08 ERA in 13 1/3 innings, there were plenty of red flags for Knebel in 2020 — most notably a 94.4 mph average fastball velocity that sat three miles per hour shy of its 2017 peak. However, Knebel’s velocity ticked upward late in the season, which could have been enough to give the Dodgers hope that he’ll regain some of the life on his heater next year when he’s another season removed from surgery.
From 2017-18 with the Brewers, Knebel racked up 55 saves while pitching to a 2.54 ERA and identical 2.54 SIERA over the course of 131 1/3 innings. Along the way he emerged as one of the game’s premier strikeout artists, punching out a ridiculous 40.2 percent of the hitters he faced. With the Dodgers, he’ll join a late-inning mix featuring Kenley Jansen, young flamethrower Brusdar Graterol and the recently re-signed Blake Treinen.
dave huth
I liked him a lot with the Brewers:(
sillyscully
No way they trust Jansen to stay at closer whole season. Now they have a few options to chose from with Graterol, Knebel, and Treinen. So glad to see Baez go to the trashtros! Good riddance!
NYYstateofmind
“December 2, 2020: Traded by the Milwaukee Brewers to the Los Angeles Dodgers for unknown compensation”.
WTF does this mean? Where’s a PTBNL when you need it
Technically correct
I admit I don’t know for sure, but I’m pretty sure it was a cash exchange, not a player. So technically you can’t drop the PTBNL designation if that was in fact the scenario.
larry48
PTBNL has already been sent to Brewers.
Hosmer for HOF
They named the player on this website literally yesterday or the day before lol.
Hosmer for HOF
Damn you it’s in this very article. Leo Crawford. Can you read more than a headline next time?
Technically correct
Yep my bad. I saw it and didn’t remember by the time I got to the end. I’m an idiot.
Jeffmathisfirstballothalloffame
Why did they not just claim brad hand?
Loling @ you
I’m guessing arm/shoulder injury is worse than reported. 10 million was a bargain for elite production but it appears that medicals must look pretty awful that no one wanted to risk 10 million.
Technically correct
He cleared October 30, 2020, so I’d say it’s mostly timing of the waivers. The first COVID vaccine received emergency use authorization December 11th. We just learned MLB will proceed with a full season during the past week. Heck of a lot of variables still unknown at that time to commit to $10 million to a guy coming off injury.
Loling @ you
So looking at his stats he looks pretty mediocre even before injury so why was this guy so hyped on 1 year of production?
gbs42
Knebel? Did you read above what he did in 2017 and ’18?
mlb1225
He was super dominant in 2017, but really inconsistent in 2018. Oppoents had an OPS above .900 in April, July and August but couldn’t even get a .700 OPS against him in May, June or September.
Loling @ you
He had a 3.58 in 2018 and over a 4 in 2016
vtadave
14.3 K/9 and 2.97 FIP in 2018. That’s pretty good.
gbs42
Parsing a reliever’s performance by month is too granular. He didn’t throw more than 15.1 innings in any more those two years, and that April, 2018 performance was 2/3 IP.
I’m not saying he was, is, or will be great, but Tatsumaki’s comment that he had “1 year of production” is an oversimplification. Yes, he’s only had that one great year, but he’s been good other seasons.
Cap & Crunch
The guys pure filth with probably has the best RH curveball in the game when its on –
I love the gamble and he’s probably the Dodger Im most excited to see next year
Hes an every night candidate to throw a ‘Kimbrel” and those guys dont grow on trees
hexum311
Dodgers love their first year after Tommy John pitchers.
Dorothy_Mantooth
Maybe but this is his second year post TJS
lolzmets
Here’s a preview of Darkside’s lukewarm take (you get to pick your favorite chicken scratch comment)-
good depth
id take him
he wolnt be in the rotation
jdgoat
Damn bro you got the whole crew laughing /s
Ducky Buckin Fent
Lol
He’s not even on the board & you’re trolling him? You’re weird, dude.
larry48
PTBNL has already been sent to Brewers. The pitcher was sent almost at the same time as 5 days later.