December 10: Treinen’s signing has now been formally introduced by the Dodgers, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic (X hyperlink).
December 9: Per Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Instances (X hyperlink), Treinen will get a $5MM signing bonus and there no deferrals on the deal.
December 8: The Dodgers are in settlement with right-hander Blake Treinen on a two-year deal value $22MM, in line with a report from Ari Alexander of KPRC2. It’s the biggest deal for a reliever going into his age-37 or later season for the reason that Yankees signed Mariano Rivera in 2010. Treinen is represented by Apex Baseball.
Treinen, 36, was the Dodgers’ highest-leverage reliever this 12 months. Regardless of his fastball slipping practically three miles per hour, he posted wonderful marks with a 1.93 ERA, 30.4 Ok%, 6.0 BB%, and 44.7% groundball charge in 46 2/3 innings. Treinen has been with the Dodgers since signing a one-year, $10MM deal 5 years in the past after the A’s non-tendered him.
Treinen has labored 149 2/3 common season innings for the Dodgers from 2020-24, including one other 33 1/3 throughout 4 completely different postseasons. He remained the go-to reliever for Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts in powerful spots because the membership climbed by means of the postseason to win a championship. He made 9 appearances this postseason, getting greater than three outs in 5 of them. Treinen was the profitable pitcher within the decisive Sport 5 of the World Sequence in opposition to the Yankees, stepping up with 2 1/3 scoreless innings.
Drafted within the seventh spherical by the A’s out of South Dakota State College in 2011, Treinen was shipped to the Nationals in January 2013 as a part of a three-team deal that introduced the Mariners Mike Morse. Considerably of an afterthought in that deal, Treinen labored his manner as much as a high-leverage position within the Nationals’ bullpen by 2016. Treinen had a tough first half in 2017, and A’s GM Billy Beane made certain to reacquire the hard-throwing pitcher he’d drafted six years prior. The A’s despatched Sean Doolittle and Ryan Madson to the Nats in that deal, bringing again Jesus Luzardo, Treinen, and Sheldon Neuse.
The commerce again to Oakland proved a turning level in Treinen’s profession, as he blossomed into one of many recreation’s finest relievers. In reality, Treinen’s 0.78 ERA in 2018 stands because the lowest mark in MLB historical past for a pitcher with not less than 80 innings. The mix of a short lived setback in 2019 (maybe associated to a again damage) and Treinen’s rising arbitration salaries led to the aforementioned non-tender, nonetheless.
Although Treinen had some struggles within the shortened 2020 season, he remained wholesome and even picked up a save in Sport 5 on the way in which to his first ring. The Dodgers re-upped him for 2 years and $17.5MM with a membership choice for a 3rd 12 months. He posted an excellent 2021 season, however the next two years could be affected by accidents.
Treinen was restricted to a mere 5 common season innings from 2022-23, resulting from a shoulder damage that culminated in November 2022 labrum and rotator cuff surgical procedure. The Dodgers had beforehand secured a 2024 choice that elevated based mostly on innings pitched, permitting them to retain Treinen for simply $1MM this 12 months. He made his season debut in Could due a bruised lung, hitting the IL once more in August with hip discomfort.
Provided that the Mets intend to make use of Clay Holmes as a beginning pitcher, the Treinen deal is simply the second vital aid contract of the offseason, after the Purple Sox signed Aroldis Chapman 5 days prior. Treinen will once more slot into the late innings for the Dodgers alongside fellow righties Evan Phillips and Michael Kopech.
The Dodgers made a pair of notable signings Sunday night, re-signing Treinen shortly after including outfielder Michael Conforto on a one-year deal. The highlight as we head into the Winter Conferences in Dallas, nonetheless, was on the Mets’ record-shattering 15-year, $765MM cope with Juan Soto. The Dodgers have been within the combine for Soto, however by no means appeared to be the favourite. The Dodgers did make a splash already this winter by signing Blake Snell to a five-year, $182MM cope with deferrals.
With the additions of Snell, Conforto, and Treinen and an extension for Tommy Edman, RosterResource pegs the Dodgers’ aggressive steadiness tax payroll at about $332MM, in a 12 months the place the fourth tax bracket sits at $301MM. Provided that the Dodgers already exceeded that mark by signing Snell, including Conforto and Treinen will in impact value the Dodgers $58.8MM this 12 months, given the membership’s 110% tax bracket.
