Dodgers Team News

Dodgers News: Julio Urias “Respects” Organization’s Decision on Innings

Julio Urias said at FanFest he’s ready to throw as many innings as the Dodgers need. L.A. may have other thoughts.

The Dodgers are considering Urias pitching in extending spring training, while Urias told Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register he’ll “respect” whatever decision the franchise makes.



The Dodgers are wise to protect the lefty’s arm. Urias won’t be able to buy his first legal beer until August. He and his agent Scott Boras have previously agreed to take a conservative route to building up his stamina. In fact, referenced in the linked Los Angeles Times story is Boras’ comment on young pitchers.

“Boras said his company’s research indicates that pitchers who throw more than 650 major league innings before their 24th birthdays are unlikely to be productive after they are 30.”

Urias pitched 77 major league innings last year. He’d need to average around 143.2 per season over the next four to hit Boras’ 650 mark.

Boras is well-regarded for his negotiation tactics. It’s naive to think those comments aren’t traced to Urias’ earning power. Urias can hit the market at age 26. Boras can advertise his low innings count in talks, collect a lengthy deal with an opt-out in a few years, then play the same card. It results in one, if not two paydays for Urias before he turns 30.

There are benefits from the Dodgers’ perspective as well. The team wants Urias to be a long-term pillar, and limiting his innings now is the best means to do that. Clayton Kershaw is 28, and contrary to what many believe, Father Time is undefeated. When Kershaw starts to near the near, Urias will be in his prime. The situation lines up perfectly for Los Angeles to avoid life without an ace. If Urias develops to be as extraordinary as the scouting reports suggested, the Dodgers won’t sweat giving him his mid-20s mega-deal; especially knowing his arm will still be fresh.

[graphiq id=”6Xpah7mOhE1″ title=”Julio Urias 2016 Complete Pitching Splits” width=”600″ height=”786″ url=”https://w.graphiq.com/w/6Xpah7mOhE1″ link=”http://baseball-players.pointafter.com/l/401618/Julio-Urias” link_text=”PointAfter | Graphiq” ]

Los Angeles wants to win this year, but that doesn’t mean Urias has to be a team staple from April to October. Dave Roberts’ plan could be best for both sides. If extended spring training doesn’t come to fruition, the Dodgers have enough pitching depth to skip Urias’ starts when Roberts feels it’s appropriate.

Similar to last season, the Dodgers’ depth will be put to the test.

The Dodgers have five of MLB Pipeline’s top 100 prospects

Gabe Burns

Gabe Burns is an award-winning journalist. He serves as a reporter and editor at the DodgersNation news desk. He additionally works as editor-in-chief of The Spectator, Valdosta State University's student paper. Gabe's work has been featured on a number of platforms, including Draft Breakdown and Pro Football Spot. His byline has been cited in media such as the New York Times, Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune. Aside from covering Dodgers baseball, Gabe enjoys watching the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Orlando Magic and Tampa Bay Lightning. He can be followed on Twitter at @GabeBurns_DN.

3 Comments

  1. You guys got a problem in your comment section. And my email is filling up with it. Please get it taken care of.

    1. Hello Giantkiller, sorry about the inconvenience. Livefyre has stopped support and started to get flooded with spam so we’ve migrated to Disqus.

  2. Hope it works. As my mother used to tell me
    The best laid plans of mice and men…….
    often go awry.

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