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.
Showing posts with label Mota. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mota. Show all posts
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Mota adds to bullpen depth
The Dodgers made their first move of adding a short reliever today, signing righty Guillermo Mota to a 1-year, $2.35 million deal. He returns to LA after being traded away in the Brad Penny-Paul Lo Duca deal with Florida in 2004.
Mota was one of the names mentioned about a week ago as possibilities of being added to the 'pen, along with Dennys Reyes and Juan Cruz. Mota looks to be the worst of the 3, but he's had bright spots in his career that suggest he can be effective.
That bright spot was when he was setting up Eric Gagne in 2003 and 2004, where they formed practically an unhittable combination in the 8th and 9th innings. When he was traded, he never regained his groove. His time with the Marlins, Indians, and Mets all ended miserably. Last year with the Brewers was better, however, gathering a 4.11 ERA and giving up 52 hits in 57 IP.
He also was busted for flunking the MLB drug policy and slapped with a 50-game suspension.
The upside is that he's still a hard thrower and can get K's, and that his best success was with LA, so maybe he's back in his comfort zone. I don't think he'll be asked to pitch late in games yet, as the guys to get to Jonathan Broxton should be Hong-Chih Kuo and Cory Wade for now.
Getting Mota was a decent addition, but now they need to focus on the starting rotation. Guys like Oliver Perez, Randy Wolf, Braden Looper, and Jon Garland are still out there to be had. They're not superstars, but better than relying on Jason Schmidt to pitch big innings. Signing one of those guys is a must.
Mota was one of the names mentioned about a week ago as possibilities of being added to the 'pen, along with Dennys Reyes and Juan Cruz. Mota looks to be the worst of the 3, but he's had bright spots in his career that suggest he can be effective.
That bright spot was when he was setting up Eric Gagne in 2003 and 2004, where they formed practically an unhittable combination in the 8th and 9th innings. When he was traded, he never regained his groove. His time with the Marlins, Indians, and Mets all ended miserably. Last year with the Brewers was better, however, gathering a 4.11 ERA and giving up 52 hits in 57 IP.
He also was busted for flunking the MLB drug policy and slapped with a 50-game suspension.
The upside is that he's still a hard thrower and can get K's, and that his best success was with LA, so maybe he's back in his comfort zone. I don't think he'll be asked to pitch late in games yet, as the guys to get to Jonathan Broxton should be Hong-Chih Kuo and Cory Wade for now.
Getting Mota was a decent addition, but now they need to focus on the starting rotation. Guys like Oliver Perez, Randy Wolf, Braden Looper, and Jon Garland are still out there to be had. They're not superstars, but better than relying on Jason Schmidt to pitch big innings. Signing one of those guys is a must.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
More bullpen depth could be added
In addition to trying to lure in Trevor Hoffman, the Dodgers are looking at making over their bullpen even more. Not a bad idea considering that Chan Ho Park, Scott Proctor, Joe Beimel, and Takashi Saito are either gone or will be gone.
Jayson Stark of ESPN reports that they've offered a deal to righty Dennys Reyes, recently of the Minnesota Twins. He's a former Dodger from 1997-1998, his first 2 seasons in the Bigs. Last season with the Twins, he posted great numbers of a 2.33 ERA and 1.19 WHIP. Seems like a great addition to me.
Another man in consideration is another ex-Dodger, righty Guillermo Mota. He once had a very promising career, but it seems to have taken a downhill turn ever since the Dodgers traded him in 2003 as part of the Brad Penny-Paul Lo Duca deal. Last season with the Brewers, he posted mediocre numbers of 4.11 ERA and 1.40 WHIP. Maybe a return to LA would get him in a comfort zone again, I guess.
The last man rumored is righty Juan Cruz. He's done very well the last couple of years in Arizona, highlighted last season with a 2.61 ERA and 1.26 WHIP last season. He knows how to get a strikeout, with 71 in 57.2 IP. Seems like a solid addition to me.
So that leads me to ask one question, which is what about getting a lefty? Right now, they only have Hong-Chih Kuo, who's dominating, but can't pitch everyday because of arm problems in the past. With Beimel looking to be gone, they need someone to come in and pitch an inning each night. Maybe Scott Elbert or Greg Miller could do it, but they're young and unproven. But, maybe the Dodgers have confidence in them to get it done.
Looking at the candidates, it looks like either Reyes or Cruz would make great additions. Mota would be my last choice. Getting Hoffman and Reyes or Cruz would be fantastic. A Reyes/Cruz-Broxton-Hoffman trio to pitch the 7-9 innings would be great.
Jayson Stark of ESPN reports that they've offered a deal to righty Dennys Reyes, recently of the Minnesota Twins. He's a former Dodger from 1997-1998, his first 2 seasons in the Bigs. Last season with the Twins, he posted great numbers of a 2.33 ERA and 1.19 WHIP. Seems like a great addition to me.
Another man in consideration is another ex-Dodger, righty Guillermo Mota. He once had a very promising career, but it seems to have taken a downhill turn ever since the Dodgers traded him in 2003 as part of the Brad Penny-Paul Lo Duca deal. Last season with the Brewers, he posted mediocre numbers of 4.11 ERA and 1.40 WHIP. Maybe a return to LA would get him in a comfort zone again, I guess.
The last man rumored is righty Juan Cruz. He's done very well the last couple of years in Arizona, highlighted last season with a 2.61 ERA and 1.26 WHIP last season. He knows how to get a strikeout, with 71 in 57.2 IP. Seems like a solid addition to me.
So that leads me to ask one question, which is what about getting a lefty? Right now, they only have Hong-Chih Kuo, who's dominating, but can't pitch everyday because of arm problems in the past. With Beimel looking to be gone, they need someone to come in and pitch an inning each night. Maybe Scott Elbert or Greg Miller could do it, but they're young and unproven. But, maybe the Dodgers have confidence in them to get it done.
Looking at the candidates, it looks like either Reyes or Cruz would make great additions. Mota would be my last choice. Getting Hoffman and Reyes or Cruz would be fantastic. A Reyes/Cruz-Broxton-Hoffman trio to pitch the 7-9 innings would be great.
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