Dodgers News: Farhan Zaidi Goes In-Depth On Brandon Beachy Signing
Amid Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman stating the team was holding trade talks for a reliever, they announced the signing of Brandon Beachy, another starting pitcher, to a one-year deal on Saturday.
The signing represents some risk as Beachy is coming off Tommy John surgery in March of 2014, the second of his career. Dodgers general manager Farhan Zaidi spoke in some detail on the addition, and said the club believes Beach may be ready near the midway point of the season, via J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles News Group:
Farhan Zaidi on Beachy: "We’re hoping he’ll be ready to go midseason, all-star break, in that range but that’s just a guess."
— J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) February 21, 2015
Zaidi also added the signing came with input from special assistant Pat Corrales and that Beachy was a target, according to Ron Cervenka of Think Blue LA:
Zaidi aid that Special Assistant to the GM Pat Corrales watched Beachy throw quite a bit and had a lot of input on decision to sign him.
— ThinkBlueLA (@Think_BlueLA) February 21, 2015
Zaidi called Beachy "A valued target for us."
— ThinkBlueLA (@Think_BlueLA) February 21, 2015
Beachy has only started in 46 games in his career, all coming with the Atlanta Braves; however, 2011 was the last time he made more than 13 starts in a season. The Dodgers will have played 89 games before the All-Star break and have other depth options outside of Beachy.
Once the 28 year old is ready to return, his arrival would allow other pitchers to have extra rest if need be. Hoornstra also adds Beachy’s salary in 2015 will be a relatively bargain deal:
Brandon Beachy gets $2.75 M guaranteed from #Dodgers. Option year is between $3-6 million, escalates based on innings or starts, per Zaidi.
— J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) February 21, 2015
The Dodgers hold a club option for 2016 as part of the deal, which if they exercise will pay Beachy anywhere from $3-6 million, via Eric Stephen of True Blue LA:
Beachy's 2016 option base can increase from $3m to $6m based on 2015 games started: $500k for each of 1, 5, 10, 15, 18 & 21 starts
— Eric Stephen (@truebluela) February 21, 2015
The incentives-based contract is similar to what the Dodgers did with Brett Anderson and Brandon McCarthy, two other pitchers whose careers have been saddled by injury.
Beachy is a career 14-11 with a 3.23 ERA in 46 starts. Although his ground ball percentage is not great, it is slightly above average, at 41.45 percent in his last 18 starts. Come his time to return, Beachy’s ability to induce ground balls should fit in well with the revamped infield that Friedman and Zaidi have put together.
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