The Dodgers and Jonathan Broxton have officially parted ways on Tuesday, as he agreed to a one-year, $4 million deal with the Royals. He moves on after spending the first seven years of his big league career in LA.
Just the name "Jonathan Broxton" alone brings up so many mixed emotions in people. He was at one point one of the top 2-3 closers in the game. He started closing full-time for an injured Takashi Saito in 2008, and the Dodgers didn't miss a beat. He collected 14 saves that year to go with a 3.13 ERA, and picked up the final outs in Game 3 of the NLDS to sweep the Cubs.
Unfortunately, he didn't end the '08 season well, as it's hard to forget the moon shot that Matt Stairs cranked off him in Game 4 of the NLCS against the Phillies. To this day it's one of the longest hit balls I've ever seen.
To Broxton's credit, he bounced back very well in 2009, as he posted his best numbers by far. He went 7-2 with 36 saves in 42 chances with a 2.61 ERA, and an incredible 114 strikeouts in 76 innings.
And, in an eerie repeat of the year before, he fell apart in the NLCS... in Game 4... to the Phillies. This time he walked Stairs with one out, beaned Carlos Ruiz, and after getting the second out, lost on a two-run double by Jimmy Rollins.
Then came the 2010 season, which saw him collect 12 straight saves in the month of May. Good. But then came the infamous meltdown on June 27 against the Yankees, in which he failed to protect a 6-2 lead in the 9th, giving up four runs and throwing a whopping 48 pitches. Bad. His ERA coming into that game was 0.83. He stunk after that, blowing five more saves and finishing with a 4.04 ERA.
You can forget about his 2011 campaign, as it was a waste. He made only 14 appearances, saving seven games, but with a 5.68 ERA. May 3 was his last game of the year, as he was shut down for good in September with elbow surgery.
While many people held on to hopes that he could put the past behind him and still be a force in the 'pen, but let's be realistic here: this is a move that's the best for both worlds. Broxton needed to get away, and the Dodgers needed him to go away. A fresh start, with hopefully a fresh arm, is the best thing for him, as a Broxton-Joakim Soria combination can be really good if both are on.
I've been a vocal critic of Broxton for awhile now. My biggest complaint was that he simply could not be counted on to make the big save. His fastball was losing velocity (his elbow I'm sure had something to do with that), and his slider wasn't reliable anymore. What he needs to do is learn how to become a complete pitcher. What was Eric Gagne's best pitch when he was breaking save records? An off-speed pitch. Broxton needs to develop one as well.
Not to be a hater, but I'm really not sad to see him go. I didn't have any confidence in him, and his presence will no longer force Don Mattingly into the awkward role of defending him. Now, the Dodgers can move on with guys like Kenley Jansen and Javy Guerra to finish off opponents, as they did so well in 2011.
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