Editorials

2018 Dodgers Player Reviews: Wilmer Font

The right-handed Venezuelan reliever signed a minor league contract with the Dodgers in December 2016. After a stellar year with the Oklahoma City Dodgers in 2017, he was in the L.A. bullpen at the beginning of the 2018 season.

Regular Season Recap

Especially with Corey Seager’s season-ending injury, the first two months of the regular season were a high-octane nightmare for Los Angeles. Font more than did his part by allowing more runs (13) and hits (18) than innings pitched (10?). The low-points came when he lost two extra-inning games against division rivals on walk-off hits. The first was April 2 in Arizona, blowing the lead first before the walk-off single by Jeff Mathis in the bottom of the 15th.



Even worse was his effort in San Francisco five days later. Once again, the Dodgers grabbed a lead deep in extra innings, this time in the top of the 14th on a Logan Forsythe RBI single. But just as fast as you can say Mark Guthrie, Font surrendered two singles, both brought home on a towering walk-off home run by Andrew McCutchen. Tragically, it was a blight on my otherwise blissful trip to the Vichy Spring Resort in Ukiah.

So bad was Font that he wouldn’t even be around for “rock bottom” in May. He was designated for assignment on April 23 and traded two days later to the Oakland Athletics in exchange for minor leaguer Logan Salow. He continued to be a disaster in the Bay Area, and was once again designated for assignment and traded in late May, this time to the Tampa Bay Rays.

The third time proved a charm, notching a 1.67 ERA over 27 innings. Unfortunately, he ended up on the 60-day DL with a right lat strain.

How’d He Do in October?

About as much as I did in the World Cup.

What Lies Ahead

Font is currently still in Tampa Bay, and mercifully far away from the Dodgers bullpen.

All 2018 Season Player Reviews

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