Saturday, February 21, 2015

Dodgers add Beachy with an eye towards the 2nd half

The Dodgers continued adding new pieces to their starting rotation today by signing Brandon Beachy to a one-year, $2.75 million deal with a club option for 2016.  He won't be needed until later in the season as he continues his rehabilitation from Tommy John surgery last March.

On paper, this looks like a good move, as the Dodgers can only hope he can give them an added boost later on in the season.  In a way, it reminds me of when they signed Brian Wilson at the trade deadline in 2013, who then went on to be a huge piece of the bullpen down the stretch.  Of course, he completely fell apart in 2014, but for a brief run, he was great.

Beachy certainly has some good numbers in his past appearances with the Braves, albeit in only 46 starts thanks to two TJ surgeries already.  For his career, he's 14-11 with a 3.23 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and 275 strikeouts in 267 2/3 innings pitched.

Now he can rest and rehab with his surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who just happens to be based in LA.  That turned out to be a key factor in Beachy's decision in coming to the West Coast, so hey, sometimes it's better to be lucky than good.

If Beachy can come back at full strength, then based on his past success in the National League, this move could turn out be like a deadline deal, only without needing to give anyone up to get him.  Also, he gives added insurance in case Brett Anderson can't shake the injury bug himself.  Beachy could very well end up trading off with Anderson in the second half of the season.

Keep Beachy's name in mind as the summer months of June and July begin heating up.

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