2018 Dodgers Player Reviews: Tony Cingrani

Tony Cingrani was acquired by trade in July 2017 from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for Scott Van Slyke and minor league catcher Hendrik Clementina. He signed a one-year, $2.3 million contract for the 2018 season to avoid arbitration.

Regular Season Recap

When he came to Los Angeles in late 2017, Cingrani went from a 5.40 ERA in a Reds uniform to a 2.79 on the rest of the season with the Dodgers. Especially with the departure of Tony Watson, he was expected to be a go-to lefty in 2018.

To an extent, Cingrani showed his capabilities, amassing a career-high strikeout-to-walk ratio. But injuries would wreck his full potential, his left shoulder succumbing to inflammation and later being categorized as a strain. After a brief DL trip in May, his performance dipped upon returning, and he’d eventually ride the 60-day DL all the way until September.

Even in a truncated season, Cingrani helped create one of the 2018 Dodgers’ greatest highlights. On May 4 at Estadio de Beisbol in Monterrey, Mexico, he combined with starter Walker Buehler and fellow relievers Yimi Garcia and Adam Liberatore to throw a combined no-hitter against the San Diego Padres.

The no-hitter made history on multiple levels. It was the team’s first since Clayton Kershaw’s masterful one in June 2014, the first in MLB history thrown outside the U.S. or Canada, the first combined one in Dodgers franchise history, and the 23rd overall in their history as well. The only downside is that it was soon overshadowed by “rock bottom.”  

How’d He Do in October?

Although he performed exceptionally throughout the 2017 World Series run, Cingrani wasn’t called upon to help out in the 2018 effort. On an interesting sidenote, neither he nor the other no-hit relievers (Garcia and LIberatore) made the playoff roster.

What Lies Ahead

Cingrani agreed to another one-year contract, this time for a guaranteed $2.65 million, on in November 2018. If he can stay healthy, he will be a vital part of revamping last season’s oft-troubled bullpen in 2019.