Jansen says he's feeling good, so what's the problem?

Good update over at ESPN LA from Mark Saxon about Kenley Jansen and his rejuvenated fastball.  Last season it was in the 92-95 mph range, and now it's shot up to 95-100.  The reason could be a healthier offseason after needing plenty of rest the previous year because of his abnormal heartbeat scare.

Of course, that begs the question about why Jansen has blown two of the last four save opportunities, in addition to taking a loss to the Tigers last week trying to keep the score tied.  One theory is that his increased velocity has resulted in a straighter cutter, which isn't exactly a good thing.

That could be true, but I think there's something else: opposing hitters know the cutter is coming, have seen it before, and are more prepared to hit it, no matter how nasty it may be.

It's tough to get on Jansen too much because he's been practically unhittable since 2010.  But right now, the 39 batters he's faced have hit .343 off of him.  Want to know the highest average he's surrendered in his career?  Try .177 last year, the same season he collected 28 saves, a 1.88 ERA, and struck out 111.

I've said for a couple years now that as good as Jansen's hard stuff is, I do get concerned that he goes to the well way too often.  Watching the Giants hit against him on Tuesday night (his second blown save), I couldn't help but think of that again.  While the hits against him were a bit lucky, the bottom line is that I didn't get a sense that the guys from the Bay Area were intimidated by him, as many hitters have been in the past.  It seemed like they were prepared for what was coming.

There are some interesting numbers over at Fangraphs.com that back up what Saxon was saying.  All of his pitches (fastball, cutter, slider) are being thrown about 2-3 mph harder than in the past.  I'm definitely not a pitching expert (I coach junior high softball, and even that confuses me), but maybe harder doesn't always equal better.

I don't think it's too late to start incorporating some softer stuff.  The only other pitch he's been tracked at is a slider at 5% of the time.  He hasn't been tracked throwing a changeup since 2011, and even that was barely at 2%.  He's coming at you hard and often.

When thinking about other great closers in Dodgers' history, I obviously think of Eric Gagne.  To compliment his 92 mph fastball, what other pitch did he rely on?  A 70 mph changeup that buckled knees every game.  I know that's not Jansen's thing, but it goes to show how having two reliable pitches at different speeds make you more deadly on the mound.

Maybe Jansen is about to reel off 20 straight saves and we'll forget about his April troubles.  Or maybe opposing hitters will keep having success against him.  I just hope he's more open to mixing in some softer stuff when he's on the mound.  It can only help.

Ask and ye shall receive: Gagne is gone

Eric Gagne's comeback attempt with the Dodgers is over. Gagne asked for and was granted a release of his contract, only a short amount of time after agreeing to go to the minors.

Apparently he had a change of heart.

It's not surprising that any of this happened. He only pitched in 2 2/3 innings this spring, but had a monstrous 20.25 ERA, with six runs allowed on eight hits. And it's also not a surprise that Gagne would rather roll the dice on getting picked up by another big league club.

While reuniting with his old club looked like a good idea on paper, I can't say I'm exactly heartbroken that it didn't work out. All Dodger fans will never forget the incredible run he had in his prime, as he rewrote the record books for closing out games.

Then his arm starting giving him problems, and it was all downhill from there. The biggest blow, in my opinion anyway, was being on the Mitchell Report. Yes, I know he can get in line with the countless other drug addicts that were exposed, but it still left a bad taste in my mouth.

Ultimately, Gagne went from being a Dodger hero to just another guy in the long run, much like Paul Lo Duca. And that, my friends, is truly a shame.

Gagne eyes a return to LA

*** UPDATE ***

Gagne is back. He has signed a minor league contract and will fight for a spot on the big league roster. He'll earn $500,000 if he makes the majors, and has an out clause if he doesn't.

The Dodgers have a history of reclamation projects for pitchers, so let's hope this is the latest example.

***

An old face wants to make a comeback with the boys in blue.

Eric Gagne has recently expressed a desire to be a Dodger again. He hasn't played since being released from the Brewers in Spring Training last year.

It's no secret that he's the best closer in the history of the Dodgers. His numbers from 2002-2004 are just absolutely sick. He had 52, 55, and 45 saves (152 total) while only blowing six. He set an all-time MLB record with 84 straight converted during that stretch. He was also an All-Star all three years and the 2003 NL Cy Young Award winner.

Then... it all went downhill. Elbow and back injuries derailed his 2005 and 2006 seasons, making only 16 appearances for nine saves. He then left the Dodgers for Texas in 2007 as a free agent.

Oh, and there's that whole steroid thing. Not surprisingly, he was one of the key players on the Mitchell Report in 2007. So that pretty much tainted his whole legacy.

His last two stops in Boston (traded during the '07 season) and Milwaukee ('08) were complete disasters, as he failed to regain any of the momentum he once had.

So the questions is, What kind of an impact can he have? He pitched in some no-name independent league in 2009, putting up a 4.65 ERA as a starter. The Dodgers are loaded in the bullpen, so he'd have to take a minor league contract.

Sports Illustrated's Jon Heyman seems to think the Dodgers are where he'll likely end up, but the Rockies are close as well. He did throw for the Rockies recently, but it wasn't described as being anything impressive.

Part of me would like to see Gagne come back and make a contribution, but I'd be very surprised if that happened. We shall see.

Ex-Dodgers busted in the Mitchell Report

Thanks to a Snow Day here in Binghamton, NY, I had plenty of time to watch the Mitchell Report press conference this afternoon. To begin with, the actual press conference was very boring. I was hoping he'd just name the names and give details, instead he just rambled on for 30 minutes and it was seriously about to put me to sleep. When I saw the whole report was on espn.com, I spent nearly an hour reading over it. Since we're here for the Dodgers, here's the prominent names on the list and why:

Paul Lo Duca - I guess his rise from the unknown to All-Star catcher all of a sudden isn't such a dramatic story. Lo Duca was introduced to the Kirk Radomski (the steroid/HGH man) by Todd Hundley during their time with the Dodgers. Lo Duca wrote 3 checks for $3,200 for HGH, all delivered to his house or the Dodgers clubhouse. There's even a photocopied note that he wrote to Radomski thanking him.

Unfortunately for Lo Duca, we're just getting started...

Kevin Brown - Around 2000 or 2001, Lo Duca introduced him to Radomski. After being hurt in June 2001 for a neck injury and July 2001 with a bad elbow, he received shipments from Radomski for HGH. Over the next 2-3 years, he would send as much as $10,000 CASH to Radomski for the shipments. As a former shipping employee, I can tell you that that's not the wisest thing to do! Anyway, a shipping receipt is enclosed for either HGH or Deca-Durabolin.

And the biggest one yet...

Eric Gagne - I've got to say that I don't think people can be too surprised by this. He went from an average built, average performing starting pitcher to a larger-than-life, Cy Young award winning closer. Lo Duca would place orders on his behalf, basically doing the dirty work for him. What a great guy! Again, there's a shipping receipt for HGH, sent straight to Dodger Stadium. Crazy. Then there's an interesting part about Red Sox GM Theo Epstein questioning a Sox scout about him being on roids. The scout confirmed the Dodgers' worries that he was, and went on to describe how his body is badly maintained and his effectiveness will decrease. Oh ya, he was 0-2 with 3 blown saves and a 6.75 ERA in 20 games with the Sox.

Any other name on there is minor in my view and doesn't matter anymore. What's even more interesting to note is that there are notes on discussions from top Dodger officials in October 2003 where they talk about Lo Duca and Brown. Lo Duca was said to have been off steroids at that point, and Brown was accused of being on them. Both were soon traded thereafter. Good for the Dodgers to not only know what was going on, but guess correctly that their abilities would start to go downhill.

Read The Mitchell Report.