The Dodgers have decided to roll the dice on Ronald Belisario, activating him off of the restricted list on Thursday. To make room for him, Mike MacDougal was designated for assignment.
It's an interesting move by Ned Colletti, who in effect is hoping that the Dodgers see the Belisario who dominated 2009, and not the guy who has tanked both on an off the field since then. I think this move is more of a reflection of how up and down the bullpen has been this year, and how Colletti will try to do anything to fix it.
It's easy to see why Belisario can be so valuable. In that '09 season, he collected 12 holds with a 2.04 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, and 64 K's in 70 2/3 innings. He formed a great 1-2 punch with Jonathan Broxton, another guy who's career suddenly went into a tailspin around the same time.
Then came the bad, and that was the 2010 season. His strikeouts were down (38 in 55 1/3 innings), and his ERA ballooned to 5.04, a remarkable jump over the course of one year. Visa problems and a month in rehab made for a disaster of a season.
But, the one thing he has going for him is his stuff, and when it's on, it's wicked. The same can be said about MacDougal, who finished last season with a 2.05 ERA in 57 innings. A closer look, however, reveals that his 1.46 WHIP meant he was constantly living on the edge, yet made big pitches when needed. This year, not so much. An ERA of 7.94 and 2.65 WHIP meant he was odd man out.
I can't say I disagree with this decision. MacDougal just isn't reliable enough because of his lack of command. If hitters are patient with him, they'll probably get walked. Belisario could flop, but he also could give big innings. It's worth the risk in my mind.
No comments:
Post a Comment