Feb. 16: The Associated Press has the details on the contract. Reyes can earn an extra $1MM in 2023, getting $250K for reaching 15, 20, 25 and 30 relief appearances. His relief appearances this year would also have an impact on his 2024 option, with a $300K bump for 15 and 20 and another $400K for 25.
If the option is triggered for 2024, he can earn $500K bonuses for spending 60 and 120 days on the active roster. He can also earn an extra $3MM in performance bonuses that year: $250K each for 50, 55, 60 and 65 relief appearances, $250K apiece for 30, 35, 40 and 45 games finished, and $500K each for 50 and 55 games finished.
Feb. 11: The Dodgers have an agreement in place with right-hander Alex Reyes, pending a physical, according to Juan Toribio of MLB.com. The deal will pay Reyes $1.1MM in 2023, and comes with a $3MM club option for 2024. The deal comes with a number of incentives which take the value up to $10MM. Craig Mish of the Miami Herald reports Reyes can add an additional $2MM in incentives in 2023, and a further $8MM in incentives in 2024.
Reyes, 28, has had an injury-plagued career but has tremendous upside and was an All Star in 2021 with the Cardinals. He is still recovering from shoulder surgery which will likely keep him out for part of the upcoming season, but as Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic notes, he is on track to pitch in the big leagues before the All Star break.
Originally signed by the Cardinals back in 2012, Reyes was one of the best prospects in the sport coming up through the minor leagues, regularly featuring towards the top of various top-100 prospect lists. He debuted in 2016, flashing signs of his immense promise in a 46 inning stint for the Cards that year, working to a 1.57 ERA. That tantalizing sample of work came with a 27.5% strikeout rate and 12.2% walk rate, but would be the bulk of Reyes’ work for the next few years.
He’d undergo Tommy John surgery that off-season, missing the entire 2017 campaign. His recovery from elbow surgery and a lat strain would restrict him to just one start in 2018, while he struggled to regain form in the minors in 2019 and was restricted to just three innings of work that year.
St Louis shuttled him off and on the active roster through the abbreviated 2020 season, but there were signs that Reyes – now a full-time – reliever was regaining his stuff. That year, he worked to a 3.20 ERA over 19 1/3 innings, with a well above-average 31.4% strikeout rate. He looked to be well and truly back to his best to begin 2021, working to an elite 1.52 ERA over the first half as the Cardinals’ closer, earning a trip to the All Star game as a result. The second half was another story though, as Reyes was tagged for a 5.52 ERA. All told, he wound up with a 3.24 ERA over 72 1/3 innings.
Reyes wouldn’t pitch again for the Cardinals, as he underwent shoulder surgery that ended his 2022 season before it began, and the Cardinals subsequently non-tendered him at the end of the year. There’s not been any recent updates on Reyes’ recovery, although Derrick Goold of the St Louis Post-Dispatch wrote in November that he was targeting a return in May this year.
Reyes was always one of the more intriguing names on the free agent market this winter, given the combination of his lengthy injury history and tantalizing upside. A $1.1MM deal does appear to represent a solid bet on that upside for the Dodgers, and while those incentives could raise the value of the contract, the club option for 2024 could turn out to be a bargain if Reyes can rediscover the form that took him to the Midsummer Classic in 2021.
The Dodgers have a track record of getting the best out of their pitchers, and they’ll certainly be hoping they can do the same with Reyes. It’ll be interesting to see what his stuff looks like coming back from shoulder surgery, but he flashed a 97mph fastball and an 87mph slider back in 2021 which helped him post strikeout rates north of 30%.
As far as payroll goes, this is a modest addition but ticks the Dodgers number for 2023 up to around $227MM according to RosterResource. That’ll be a ~$244MM figure for luxury tax, which lands them roughly in the middle of the first and second tiers of luxury tax. There had been some speculation that the Dodgers might look to dip under the first luxury tax threshold to reset their penalties this year, but they’ll now need to shed around $11MM of luxury tax payroll to do that.
Quite frankly, seems like a major bargain.
Given he barely pitches? Nah.
I’m confused why he’d accept a 3 mil team option …
was that really worth landing a 1.1 mil deal?
He won’t even be worth that. Hurt before spring ends.
If anyone can take the plunge it’s the Dodgers.
Dude was the cat’s eye in STL for years. Sadly, injury prone big time. Finally had a full season in 2021 & threw an immense amount of balls & strikes. The kind of pitcher that can put a defense to sleep. Dodgers just might pull a rabbit out of the hat.
Wrong..he was a decent closer for a half season…never put the defense to sleep
My first thought exactly. This is a prototypical huge risk/huge reward type of gamble that the Dodgers can make without much worry about the risk aspect. Kind of surprised it didn’t happen earlier to be honest.
69 appearances is not a half season. 52 walks & 95 strikeouts in 72.1 innings is a heck of a lot of pitches. I guess we agree to disagree.
Curly I agree…I was just saying that because he did make the all-star game which means he pitched the first half…either way I know the dodgers have the money so why not but he just can’t stay healthy…shoulder and elbow…but sure why not flush a million down the drain
These BB owners do a lot of flushing! I wouldn’t mind being their plumber…move over roto-rooter
How is this a high risk? It’s a low risk high reward move. Gamble on a former top talent and bid low to see if he regains form. Not a high risk at all
Koldjerky…this is a high risk because he has never been healthy…and he is coming off of a shoulder surgery…literally never made it through a full year without a problem…he won’t even be ready till May or June…so they are flushing a million dollars down the drain…just my opinion but the track record speak for itself
Though there is a high chance that Reyes’ contract doesn’t work out, the risk itself is low for the Dodgers. In the grand scheme of things, $1m is not much. I think you may be confusing what the term risk is. That being said, nothing you said is inherently incorrect. These guys can afford to risk a million bucks to see their reliever have a chance to be worth 15.
Right, now watch him have mostly a healthy season, and turn into one of the most dominant set-up men in the league…lol
The Dodgers, Braves, Rays, Oakland, and the Astros are probably the five teams I’d say that are the best at identifying cheap arms for their bullpen and getting the most out of them..
There is no risk in the amount they are paying him. Its low cost. As to the likelihood of him getting injured again, or not returning to his former ability, that is the risk. Its a high risk. As to Reyes, I don’t know how he will afford to live in LA on only $1MM.
Yes, the risk of him getting injured and inability to return is obviously the matter of high risk. Whether he is hurt or not, the team taking the risk is not giving up much. A roster spot and a million bucks is nothing to this team. Therefore, overall, it is low risk. Even if he only has a 10% chance to make the team it will be worth it.
Trevor Bauer is high risk. This is just a lottery ticket with a higher-than-average win. More scratch opportunities to come.
All the injuries are a massive issue but if you haven’t watch that guy pitch when he’s healthy…it’d worth a look. I’m 100% cardinals fan and I hate they let him go but I understand why. I’d bet he will be an asset in some capacity with the dodgers…after he’s unhurt lol.
Wild Thang.
No, any team can. Don’t be kissed because your billionaire owner is cheap
Wrong.
10 million in incentives. If he pitches well he’s going to get paid.
Two years of $10m for an above-average reliever is pretty decent upside if he does hit.
Agreed. Things go bad and he isn’t even making that much over the major league minimum, easy to write off. Things go well and they get two years at a great bargain.
He has the kind of talent that people should be willing to take a flier on. At his best he was dominant. If he can just stay healthy…… A big if though.
If he’s healthy at all? I was very excited for Alex Reyes, then he was hurt, hurt again, then hurt again… then working back, now a reliever… he pitched through shoulder trouble for the second half of 2021… that why I suspect his ERA ballooned to over 5 in the second half… he just isn’t dependable… not even as a reliever to give you more than 50 innings? Maybe that will change, but Alex Reyes is one of the bigger ‘what ifs’ in recent memory…
Fleece move for the Dodgers IMO, a light out closer with nasty stuff.
A little wild for my comfort zone as a closer.
Could be a decent set up man maybe to.
“ A little wild for my comfort zone as a closer”
As Aroldis Chapman responds, “Oh yeah, well watch this!”
Who hasn’t pitched in over a year and has major injury questions.
You got that right. Reyes has good credentials but he had shoulder surgery last June. Shoulders take time to heal and rehab.
If he can stay healthy.
1.3 whip with 6!bb/9 is not a lights-out closer. That’s barely better than Chapman’s last 2 years
He single-handedly lost the cards the wildcard game against the dodgers after the cards knocked Scherzer out of the game.
It was his 4th pitch and the offense went 0-11 with runners in scoring position…. Right….
It’s bargain day on the relief market.
Why can’t the Angels take advantage!
Arte only acts like he wants to make noise. Always stops short of actually making it.
I’m fine on missing out on Reyes but Chafin is another story.
Hehehehe
Uh-boy. Reyes is about as wild as a frat party.
Wait… What? Aren’t frat parties the same as Downton Abby socials?
Only after 2AM.
You’re right, I’m thinking of cotillions. Defcon 2 for those thangs. ;o)
Nobody can complain with the money they are paying him. That’s an absolute steal for a young flame thrower with elite stuff. With dodgers pitching coaches, he can be the future closer. I’m so happy about this signing.
I don’t know why any fan would care how much he’s being paid. The important business is he’s getting a spot on the roster, so that means we’re going to have watch him pitch, and with his walk rate, that’s going to be a wince every time. Elite stuff without control is less than elite stuff.
He’ll be moved to the 60 day IL the minute it opens.
Come July you can worry. Or maybe not considering his injury history.
He’s already been assigned Danny Duffy’s locker.
There’s a testament to the Dodgers ability to sign injured pitchers and get results every time, if ever there was one. Danny Duffy never threw a pitch. After Bauer was suspended, they threw ten mill at a former Phillies Ace coming off injury, and never got a pitch from him, either. The Dodgers record is good, but this is not a slam dunk. Don’t count on Reyes, and if he helps it will be a pleasant surprise.
A mythology, I think you mean. They dropped $8M on Duffy and got zero pitches out of him, and had to give up a (low-level) prospect for the privilege. We have to imagine the actual presence they could have acquired instead for that kind of money. The Dodgers come up with the occasional useful piece out of the trash heap, but I question whether it’s really worth excavating through all that refuse to find it. The track record really isn’t so great.
He won’t be ready to start the season. But 1.1 million is now “just” 400k above the minimum. Seems like a worthwhile gamble. Of course, Duffy and Nelson did not throw a pitch. So.
He’d be in good company.
There’s a reason why the Dodgers win every year. A great roll of the dice.
Except they don’t win every year. Regular season is meaningless…
So, you only watch the playoffs?
Or it’s the essence of the sport and why clubs are built the way they are, while the postseason is a silly crapshoot won by the hottest team at the time.
So….either/or.
Ah yes, a “silly crapshoot.” That’s why Houston somehow makes the WS every year. Must just be luck LOL
Was unaware that “getting to the WS” was now the new benchmark, but let’s take a look at where you’ve moved the goalposts.
Cheated their way there in 2017.
Lost to a wild-card Nationals team in 2019.
Lost to an 88-win Braves team in 2021.
Beat an 87-win wild-card Phillies team.
But sure.
You seem slow…the point is that the playoffs aren’t a “silly crapshoot,” as you ignorantly said. You must be a Fraudgers fan with that loser mentality & all these excuses. LA was just outed as having cheated in the ‘18 WS & they still couldn’t win lol…
Aside from the fun nicknames and the revisionist history–to say nothing of trolling Dodgers message boards, such is what must be your bleak existence–you must have missed the obvious point that you nevertheless failed to grasp in your rush to absolve your Astros of a historical stain they’ll never, ever wash away.
I thought I’d kept it really, really simple for you, but I guess I underestimated your reading comprehension. So maybe call your folks down to the basement and have them explain some of the big words, and take your time and sit with it all, and get back to me, when the light goes on….
Look forward to hearing back….
“…a historical stain they’ll never, ever wash away” LOL. I think the world has moved on, dumdum.
Maybe do some reading? There’s a new book, Winning Fixes Everything, which reveals LAD was cheating as well. & they still couldn’t win!
I’d be salty too. But at least you have all those regular season wins nobody cares about…
Maybe stay out of the comments if you’re so mentally fragile?
The world has moved on, genius. The Astros cheated. Period. Nothing more to see here.
I guess no one in the commissioner’s office…or the national media…or anyone who moves the needle at all–you know, unlike yourself, King of the Dodgers Message Board!–seems to have made anything of an unverified source’s claim. Weird. It’s almost like LA wasn’t outed, at all.
I’d explain how journalism works, and what a straw-man fallacy is, but that would break your tiny little brain.
Give your folks my best, and remember to thank them for laundry and the free Wifi…..
Do you watch baseball? Major market teams are protected by the league. Ex: Red Sox & Yankees scandals. Houston was the scapegoat.
Anyway, you don’t seem too bright. A little sensitive bc your team chokes every year & has nothing to show for spending billions of dollars?
Keep crying, bozo…
“Major market teams are protected by the league….Houston was the scapegoat.” Hahaha. Tell me you live in your folks’ basement without telling you live in your folks’ basement….
Why are you wasting your time embarrassing yourself on this message board, Champ? You need to get this stuff to the authorities ASAP, so they can blow the lid off this! Remember to also tell them that the Dodgers were outed too. (Maybe Mom can give you a ride, if you get your chores done and ask nicely….)
Tl;dr: Do better.
You’re really fixated on this basement thing. Sounds like projection…
Maybe find a better team to root for, so you’re not constantly being insecure & defensive? At least you have those regular season wins! LOLLLL
Hope he doesn’t pitch at any games I’m at. BALL…BALL…
Kinda the same deal the Jays offered Green. Except less guaranteed cash for Reyes.
Was this the guy who signed with giants on minor league last year, then left for another team and hit some issues? Could be thinking of another ex cardinal pitcher tho.
You’re probably thinking of Carlos Martinez. This guy isn’t as established though he was an all-star in ’21.
Thank you sir! Too tired for deep thought today!
Glad to help!
I would have been happy to see the Tigers roll the dice on him to try and replace Soto.
Dodgers fans who are getting excited haven’t gone through 10 years of “if they get anything out of Reyes….”
For his sake I hope he can stay healthy. Nobody should expect anything out of him though.
Mets really couldn’t get him? I’d rather have Reyes over 40 year old Robertson. Our bullpen is one of the worst in all of baseball. Diaz and Ottavino are gonna have to be spectacular again if the Mets want to even sniff the playoffs. Our lefty situationin Joelly Rodriguez last year was horrendous. I have no faith in Brooks Raley either. The smart decision would of been to sign Reyes and Hand
Lol raley is a better pitcher than Hand by a wide margin.
Keep telling yourself that
It’s not 2018 anymore. Raley was great in Tampa last year and had an underrated 2021, only being held back by some poor batted ball luck. Hand has been mid the last few seasons. He isn’t the lockdown closer he was 2-3 years ago.
You’re the one who doesn’t know that, so that’s why he’s telling you. Hand used to be good.
Yes! Yes! Yes! Favorite signing this offseason!
Once again I immediately think that when it’s the Rays or Dodgers who go out and grab a guy like this: “They’re going to turn him into a stud.”
Maybe, but the Cardinals are a quality organization and they couldn’t do it. Great stuff, terrible control and lots of health questions.
The Cardinal Way is Highly Overrated
One season under .500 since 2000. Yeah, totally overrated.
I’m not even a Cardinals fan but that is a very well run team.
Well run but not exactly a hub of pitcher development
Week before spring training, things are starting to heat up again.
I don’t not even realize he was a free agent. Seems very low for his upside.
If Reyes is healthy (and that’s a massive if), the Dodgers probably just got a bargin. Only other teams I’d trust more in turning around a pitcher is the Rays and Guardians.
Dodgers may have gotten a bargain, for 2024. If Reyes makes it back down the stretch thats just a bonus
Dude is worth taking a shot on. He was once pretty good.
Of course with Nick Krall sleeping with the fishes, that would never happen elsewhere.
Congratulations on getting away from the cesspool in east Missouri
Cesspool? Lol if St Louis is a cesspool you haven’t been to many cities. Plus st Louis always draws good attendance and has a passionate fan base. Memphis, flint, Oakland, Bridgeport, and Gary are all far worse cities I’ve seen. I’m not even a Cardinals fan but let me guess, you are a cubs fan who loves to troll the Cardinals fans.
Not surprised that the Dodgers would take a chance on Reyes. But with 3 pitchers already on the roster headed for the 60 day IL as soon as they can be placed, I’m surprised that it’s not a minor league deal or being announced after the 60 day IL was available. Now LA has to DFA 2 guys for Reyes and Peralta. Wasting 4 spots out of 40 at this time is not ideal.
Players on the 60 day IL don’t count against the 40 man so they shouldn’t need to DFA anybody. These deals won’t be made official until the 60 day IL is available.
60 day IL isn’t available until ST games start if i recall right
This article from the site says it starts before.
mlbtraderumors.com/2023/02/players-that-could-move…
I wonder if this will be yet another pitcher who gets paid by the Dodgers without ever throwing a pitch for them. Duffy, Hamels.
Of course, they’ll be paying Treinen and Buehler this season even though they won’t pitch this season. Bauer of course. Not very efficient. Plenty of guys in the past who didn’t pitch much that they also paid, Jimmy Nelson, Kahnle, Knebel, etc.
Dodger fan want to join a fantasy baseball league? Auction draft?
Dodger fan want to join a fantasy baseball league? Auction draft?
fantasy.espn.com/baseball/league/join?leagueId=106…
A steal at 1.1 million. With a better pitching coach he just might stay healthy.
Mike Maddux is one of the better pitching coaches of the last 15 years
I wanted the Giants to sign him.
Just make sure to fit his uniform with Street shoes in mind, he’ll be on the IL most of the season and the when he’s not he can borrow someone else’s pieces for those 3 games.
Womp womp…we find bargains always…the slander is ridiculous…they put on that dodger uniform and make magic happen…#1 farm system in baseball..we print money in Los Angeles..some of y’all teams don’t even compare
For the Dodgers, this is a drop in the bucket. If works out or doesn’t is irrelevant, both sides win here.
I wanted the Marlins to get him!
When the incentives became complicated, the Marlins wouldnt have been able to figure that out. They would have just given him the whole amount
Scott Harris, Chris Illich and the Tigers should.be called bad names.
Alex Reyes has been one of the best of the best.
Congratulations to the Dodgers. It’s called, investing in your team
Any wonder why the Dodgers are always amongst the best?
Called this one months ago, knew they’d get him and I’m sure he’ll end up being good
Only one question. Will this material be on the final exam?
Dodger luck will see Reyes healthy and being a lights out closer. I hope so. The guy had top level talent and all the bad luck in his career.
Another one of Friedman’s ‘I hope his arm doesn’t fall off’ deals.
One of the best pitchers ever…..
STAY HEALTHY!
( come.to.the Tigers first)
Stike two on Harris…..