The Broxton Era is over

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.

Broxton's elbow lands him on the DL

In a move that may be long overdue, Jonathan Broxton has been placed on the 15-day DL with a sore right elbow. He will be shut down for at least 2-3 weeks, and probably won't appear for over a month. Kenley Jansen has been recalled to take his spot.

Broxton has certainly gone through his fair share of troubles since last year's All-Star Game. I don't know if I've ever seen a guy literally go from untouchable to completely touchable overnight. But the numbers don't lie. In the second half last year, he had a 7.13 ERA, 2.13 WHIP, and five blown saves.

Rest and relaxation didn't do anything for him, as this year he has a 5.68 ERA and 1.89 WHIP. He does have seven saves in eight chances, but he can thank multiple run leads for most of that. Only twice this year in 14 appearances has he not allowed a baserunner. That's just plain ugly.

Dodger fans have long suspected that something must be physically wrong with him in addition to mentally. Well, that has been confirmed to some degree, as Broxton admitted to having a stiff elbow after he pitches. He claims it doesn't hurt when he pitches, so who knows. Nonetheless, the Dodgers absolutely did the right thing in shutting him down for the time being.

The new closer will be Vicente Padilla, who has one save and four holds this season. He, too, was hurt earlier in the year, but since his return, has only given up one run in six innings. Pitching on consecutive days might not happen, so hopefully guys like Hong-Chih Kuo and Jansen can pick up the slack.

Colletti updates closing and catching situations

Ned Colletti was just interviewed on MLB Network's "Hot Stove Live" and updated the status of both closer and catcher:

Closer - As of now, Jonathan Broxton will be the closer heading into Spring Training. When asked what happened with him last year, Colletti said that he checked out physically time and time again last season, so it was mostly a lack of confidence. No other potential closer was discussed.

Catcher - There's still no definite answer on what will happen with Russell Martin, but they have until Thursday's non-tender deadline to decide. Colletti admitted that they'll have to make a decision without much knowledge on how well Martin is progressing towards being healthy for the spring. I tried to read between the lines on what Colletti was saying, but I still have no idea if he'll be back or not. We shall see.

Broxton earns the All-Star save

For the first time since 1996, the National League has won the All-Star Game. Thanks to a really dumb rule, the NL will now get home field advantage in this year's World Series.

There were four Dodgers who made and participated in this game, so let's take a look at how they performed.

Andre Ethier - Voted in as a starter, Ethier hit seventh and played center field. He got a pretty good amount of playing time, going four innings in center and two more in right. At the plate, he went 1-for-2. Andy Pettitte made him look silly his first at-bat, striking him out in three pitches. With David Wright on second and one out in the fifth, Ethier singled, but it was hit too hard to Josh Hamilton to allow Wright to score. Wright was soon stranded.

He was this close to getting another big at-bat in the seventh, but it didn't happen. With one out, Scott Rolen was on third and Matt Holliday on first. Joe Girardi brought in lefty Matt Thorton to face Ethier. Charlie Manuel countered with Chris Young, who popped up. Understandable given the lefty-righty situation, but Ethier has been so clutch for the last year and a half, I wonder what would have happened.

Hong-Chih Kuo - One of the several last minute additions, Kuo entered the scoreless game in the fifth. Obviously feeling some nerves, it didn't go so well. Evan Longoria walked leading off. Joe Mauer then bounced one weakly near the mound, and Kuo completely sailed the ball off the wall in foul territory. A sac-fly RBI from Robinson Cano put the AL up 1-0.

It could have been worse, though. With Mauer on second, Carl Crawford grounded to shortstop Hanley Ramirez, who easily threw out Mauer at third. Heath Bell came in to get Torii Hunter flying out, so after all of that, only one run scored.

Rafael Furcal - Another addition from last weekend, Raffy had a good night. He only had one at-bat and walked in the seventh. He was involved in the defensive play of the night when Marlon Byrd gunned out David Ortiz for a huge second out in the ninth. It wasn't an overly difficult play, but Raffy did catch the ball on a hop.

Jonathan Broxton - With the NL closer to winning for the first time in about 15 years, it was all up to Broxton to keep the two run lead. Thankfully, he did. Ortiz singled in the first pitch he saw, but thanks to a depleted bench, he had to stay in the game. Adrian Beltre struck out quickly on some nasty fastballs. John Buck was the one who placed the hit just in front of Byrd, leading to the great play at second. Ian Kinsler represented the tying run and put a good swing on it, but flew out to Young in center.

I've been critical of Broxton for fading in the spotlight, especially after giving away the lead in the last game against the Yankees. Going into the game, I thought Manuel would have Bell be the closer. I'm glad I was wrong, because Broxton had to face great talent in getting the save. It was fun to watch.


Overall, three of the four Dodgers really played well. Kuo really didn't do that bad, but in such a close game with little margin for error, his errant throw was magnified even more. I'm just glad that wasn't the focus at the end of the night and the Dodgers played a part in winning this game.

Ethier and Broxton make the All-Star team

The Dodgers received some good news before Sunday's game in Arizona, as Andre Ethier was voted in as a starter and Jonathan Broxton was also picked for this year's All-Star game. It's Ethier's first appearance and the second consecutive one for Brox.

Ethier was the hottest hitter in all of baseball to start the season. Before getting hurt in mid-May, he was hitting .392 with 11 homers and 38 RBIs, and was at or near the top of the Triple Crown categories. He's cooled down considerably since then, but has recently started to pick it up again. There's no doubt that the fans remembered his great start and rewarded him for that.

Broxton is currently 3-0 with 17 saves and a 2.02 ERA. He's somehow only tied for eighth in the NL for saves, but sports a much better ERA than many ahead of him. He didn't appear in last year's game, so one would think he'll be itching to get in the action this time around.

This year's game will be played in Anaheim, home of the wannabe Los Angeles team.

Either and Broxton the latest with two-year deals

Add Andre Ethier and Jonathan Broxton to the list of names that avoided arbitration by agreeing to two-year deals. Ethier will earn $15.25 million plus more with incentives, and Broxton gets $11 million.

Matt Kemp has previously inked a two-year deal for $11.25 million.

With a handful of other signings taking place today (see above post), the Dodgers didn't end up going to arbitration with anybody. Give the team some credit for finding ways to get it done.

Like the Kemp deal, both signings are good short-term investments. All three have proven that they have unlimited potential. And all three have been right in the thick of back-to-back NL West championships and first round sweeps.

Ethier will team up with Manny Ramirez and Kemp to form a solid middle of the order. That's one of the best outfields in baseball. Ethier had the power numbers last year with 31 homers, 106 RBIs, and 41 doubles. He'll look to improve upon his .272 average as well.

Broxton stepped up to be the man in the bullpen in his first full season as a closer. He went 36-for-42 in save opportunities with one hold sprinkled in. He also had a 2.61 ERA with an amazing 114 strikeouts in 76 innings. Wow.

The two-year window for manageable money is the smart thing to do for the Dodgers. If all three players become superstars, then they will earn their mega-contracts in due time. But, if there's slippage, the team can thank themselves for not overreacting early and blowing tons of money.

Six Dodgers file for arbitration

Six premium members of the Dodgers' core filed for salary arbitration on Friday: Andre Ethier, James Loney, Jonathan Broxton, Russell Martin, George Sherrill, and Hong-Chih Kuo. Each player will exchange figures with the team on Tuesday.

It's not a slam dunk that each player will head into an arbitration case, as two-year deals have been discussed with Ethier and Broxton. Matt Kemp previously signed a two-year contract of his own.

While predicting a salary is never an exact science, certain players appear to be in line for a raise compared to others.

Ethier made $3.2 million last year, and he had a career-year with six walk-off hits and a Silver Slugger award. He would most assuredly be in for a raise. Broxton earned $1.925 million, and then went on to get 36 saves, a 2.61 ERA, and 114 strikeouts. He'll be richer.

Kuo made only $475,000 (and I say "only" in baseball terms... I'll happily take that any day of the week), but had a great year by being lights-out in the seventh inning with a 2.19 ERA. He'll get more money.

Sherrill made $2.75 million, but was fantastic going from Baltimore to LA and never missing a beat. In the second half between the two clubs, he had a fantastic 0.85 ERA. He, too, would appear to be richer.

Loney will probably be in for around the same $465,000 that he made last year, only because his numbers aren't much different the last two seasons. Martin earned $3.1 million, but is coming off a down year, so that number may go down as well.

I'll keep you updated as the deals become finalized.

Kemp closing in on two-year deal

The Dodgers have been in discussions with Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, James Loney, and Jonathan Broxton on two-year deals. However, only Kemp appears to be close to inking a new deal.

Talks with Kemp have been described as "progressing smoothly" between the two sides. He's at a prime spot to cash in, as he's coming off a big season where he took a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards. Plus, he's 25 and is probably still getting better (at least I hope).

As for the other three, while talks have occurred, it's hard to get the impression that anything but one-year deals will happen.

Both Ethier and Loney look like locks for one year. Broxton is said to be discussing multiple scenarios, so maybe he's another possibility for an extended deal.

Broxton out for now with toe injury

Jonathan Broxton has not been himself his last two appearances, giving up five runs, five hits, and four walks in two innings. Now, we may understand why.

Broxton will be out the last two games before the All-Star break and possibly more with a sore right big toe. Most likely, you can forget about seeing him on Tuesday in St. Louis, which is a shame.

The good news is that he can get some good rest, so if he's going to get hurt, at least he did it while there's some days off. With something like a toe injury, I can imagine that no matter what type of treatment you have, the best remedy is solid rest.

In the meantime, Guillermo Mota will fill in the closer's role. That speaks volumes for how well he's turned his season around lately. He hasn't given up a run since June 19. His ERA at the end of May was 7.71, and now it's 3.57. Combine that with his past experience at closing, and it's an easy call.

To fill Broxton's spot in the bullpen, Scott Elbert was recalled from Triple-A. That means that our favorite "he's up, he's down" player, Blake DeWitt, has once again been sent back down.

Dodgers land 3 All-Star berths

Congratulations to Chad Billingsley, Jonathan Broxton, and Orlando Hudson for earning a trip to St. Louis for the All-Star Game on July 14.

Billingsley has been an ace for the Dodgers this season with a current record of 9-4. His ERA, BAA, and K's are in the top 10 of the National League. His development into the main guy on the staff has been huge as the Dodgers lost Derek Lowe, Brad Penny, and Greg Maddux from last season.

Broxton has just been an absolute monster this year. He has 20 saves, blown only two, and has gathered six wins. Like Bills, he's stepped up into a key role after the departure of Takashi Saito. Simply one of the best closers in the game, and only getting better.

Hudson is one of two reserve second basemen along with Freddy Sanchez of the Pirates. O-Dog has been a fantastic signing this offseason, as his glove has been every bit the Gold Glove that it's been in the past. A very rough June at the plate has made his average tailspin to .288 (it was .332 on June 1), but he's still a key component in front of Manny Ramirez.

Broxton and Martin ink richer deals

Jonathan Broxton and Russell Martin avoided arbitration today by resigning with the Dodgers for 1-year deals. Broxton will earn $1.825 million and Martin $3.9 million. That leaves only Andre Either as the lone arbitration eligible player left.

It's good to have these deals taken care of, as these 2 are huge pieces of the puzzle. In case you're wondering why Martin's deal is worth so much more, he does have 2 All-Star berths under his wing. He also has a Silver Slugger and Gold Glove from 2007.

Broxton will have his first crack at being the main man in the 9th inning in 2009. He's been in LA since 2005, and has excelled in the setup role. He took over for the injured Takashi Saito towards the end of last season and performed very well, picking up 14 saves.

Now it'll be time to focus on Either. He's asked for $3.75 million, and the Dodgers have countered with $2.65 million. If it reaches to the point of having a meeting, it won't be until February.

Looking at the bullpen

While the Dodgers get ready to take on the Houston Astros tonight, let's take a look at how the bullpen has performed thus far.

LH - Joe Beimel
3-0, 12 IP, 0.75 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 1 ER, 11 H, 4 BB, 9 K
Beimel has been great so far, excelling in his role of left-handed specialist. Lefties stand virtually no chance against him, compiling a meager .190 BAA. He also leads the team in appearances with 18 since he has proven over and over that he is very much reliable.

RH - Scott Proctor
0-0, 17.2 IP, 6.11 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, 12 ER, 19 H, 9 BB, 16 K
Probably the most surprising of all the numbers I have seen is Proctor's. For whatever reason, he has yet to really get on track, as evidenced by his bloated ERA. He's still a Joe Torre favorite, so he'll be given plenty of chances I'm sure.

RH - Cory Wade
0-0, 7.2 IP, 2.35 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 2 ER, 7 H, 0 BB, 4 K
The book on Wade was that he's a good strike thrower, and that has certainly carried over to the Bigs. After Ramon Troncoso flopped, Wade has played his limited role very nicely. Righties are only hitting .125 against him.

RH - Chan Ho Park
1-0, 1 SV, 22 IP, 2.45 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 6 ER, 20 H, 10 BB, 9 K
Park was briefly sent down to Triple-A to start the season after losing the 5th starter battle, but was quickly recalled. He has really given the Dodgers big innings in games where the starters have not been so hot. I never thought he'd be playing anywhere close to this well, but he has.

LH - Hong-Chih Kuo
2-1, 24.1 IP, 2.59 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 7 ER, 19 H, 9 BB, 33 K
While it's not the situation he would want to be in, he has been outstanding in his role of long relief. Earlier this week against the Mets, Hiroki Kuroda wasn't getting the job done, so Kuo came in struck out 8 in 3.2 innings. He's challenging hitters and winning with his overpowering stuff. If he stays healthy (BIG if), he will continue to play a huge role.

RH - Jonathan Broxton
1-0, 15 IP, 1.80 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 3 ER, 9 H, 6 BB, 21 K
Another year, another dominating performance by Broxton. He is easily one of the top setup men in the game. There have been calls for him to take over closer duties already. While I think that's premature, it wouldn't surprise me to see it happen next year. For now, he still owns the 8th inning.

RH - Takashi Saito
1-1, 5 SV, 15.1 IP, 1.76 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 3 ER, 13 H, 5 BB, 16 K
I hear people say Saito should be replaced, and then I look at these numbers and wonder what those people are thinking. I believe the problem is that he's been so good the last few years, any little slip up (like his blown save against Pittsburgh) gets magnified way too much. He's still one of the top closers in the game, and I'll take my chances with him closing out any game.

Overall, I think the bullpen has pitched very well. With the exception of Proctor, they all have really good numbers, which shows that with a little offense, the Dodgers are capable of winning any game. The return of a healthy Yhency Brazoban only gives them another weapon to turn to in innings 5-8. I really believe that if the starters can give 5-6 good innings, then it's a winnable game. Even when a starter isn't clicking, Park and Kuo have shown they can keep the game steady.

They're deep, talented, and most importantly, can get people out!

MLB.com preview: Relievers

The second-to-last version of the upcoming season preview focuses on the bullpen. For the Dodgers, this is definitely one of their strengths. With a great closer and setup man, they can easily turn games into 7 inning affairs.

Takashi Saito has turned into one of the most reliable closers in the game. As the article points out, it's amazing how fast people have forgotten about Eric Gagne. Well, maybe not so much forgotten, but more that they aren't stuck in the past and wishing he was still there. Already with 63 saves in 2 seasons, he's bumped his way up into the category of elite closers like Hoffman, Papelbon, Rivera, and Nathan. Not bad for a guy that wasn't even on the roster to start the 2006 season.

Then there's Jonathan Broxton, who's still only 23, yet is quickly earning a reputation as one of the top setup men in baseball. With the exception of his September meltdown last year, he's been flawless. Should Saito ever go down, they should barely skip a beat sliding him in there.

Joe Beimel is the primary lefty, with Tom Martin and/or Mike Myers possibly joining him. Rudy Seanez has been resigned, and has provided solid innings for a 39-year-old. Scott Proctor will continue to be a workhorse, more so because of Joe Torre's love for him. The rest of the 'pen could include names like John Meloan, Eric Stultz, Yhency Brazoban, and Eric Hull.

Hopefully, the bottom end of the rotation won't be as crippled and ineffective as they were last year, so the bullpen will not be overworked.

Player Profile: Jonathan Broxton

Part III of my Player Profile series takes a look at a monster out of the bullpen, Jonathan Broxton.

Broxton went to Burke County High School in Waynesboro, Georgia. During his senior year, he went 9-2 with a 1.21 ERA. He was drafted straight out of high school by the Dodgers in the 2nd round of 2002.

From 2002-2005, he appeared in Rookie League ball to Double A, compiling a 22-11 record. His best year was in 2004 for Single A Vero Beach, which was also his last full year in the minors. There, he was 11-6 in 23 games started with a 3.23 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, and 144 K's in 128 innings.

After going 5-3 to start the 2005 season in Double A Jacksonville, the majors finally came calling. He made a splash in his first game on July 29, 2005 by notching his first MLB strikeout against Albert Pujols. Not a bad way to make a first impression. The good news is that he went on to make 14 appearances, going 1-0 with 22 K's in 13.2 innings. The bad news was his 5.93 ERA and 1.89 WHIP.

The 2006 season is when he really started to make a name for himself. Serving as the setup man to another surprising rookie, Takashi Saito, he would dominate the 8th inning and serve notice to the rest of the league that a Dodgers' lead after 7 innings would mean a W for LA. Appearing in 68 games, he went 4-1 with a 2.59 ERA and 1.23 WHIP. Most impressive is that he had 97 K's in 76.1 innings. Only 4 times during the year was he charged with a blown save. The good season did not exactly carry over into the playoffs against the New York Mets, where he was charged with the loss in the deciding Game 3, giving up 3 runs in the 6th inning, failing to protect a 5-4 lead.

Despite the rocky playoff appearance, it was back to business as usual in 2007. Again serving as the setup man to Saito, he went 4-4 with a 2.85 ERA and 1.15 WHIP, along with 99 K's in 82 innings. He managed to carry an ERA of 0.66 into the month of May, giving up only 1 run the whole month of April.

Because the bullpen became less and less reliable throughout the year, Grady Little was seemingly running him out there nearly everyday towards the end of August and into September. Even for a guy listed at 288 and could play power forward in the NBA, he wore down. He blew 3 saves and took 2 losses, with his ERA jumping from 2.17 to start the month to 2.85 in the end.

Even with the September swoon that practically the entire team went through, he is looked at as one of the more dominant setup men in baseball. The pairing with Saito is one of the best in baseball. His fastball alone is tough for teams to adjust to late in games. If the starters can get deeper into games this year, then games can once again be turned into 7 inning affairs, much like 2006.

The main thing with Broxton, and most any other reliever for that matter, is to not overuse him. I know Little took a lot of heat for this, but it's not like they had many other options. Seriously, think back to last year, and would you rather see Broxton in there late in a close game or Roberto Hernandez? I rest my case. If the Dodgers can get another arm or 2 to pitch in the 5-7 innings, then Broxton can be fresh and effective to bridge the gap to Saito.

Another important piece of business the Dodgers can take care of is to resist trading him. Much like Matt Kemp, teams constantly ask about him, yet have not been able to pry him away. The Dodgers closing situation can be taken care of for years and years as long as they leave him alone.

With a little over 2 years of experience under his belt, 2008 should be another great season for Broxton.