Dodgers News: Los Angeles Signs RHP Jimmy Nelson
The Dodgers have added to their already extensive pitching depth today, signing RHP Jimmy Nelson. The seven-year veteran signed a one-year deal that includes an option, as reported on Tuesday morning.
The Dodgers and Jimmy Nelson have agreed to a deal. It’s for one year plus a vesting mutual option. He’s guaranteed to make a little over $1 million in 2020 but could make over $3 million if healthy.
— Jorge Castillo (@jorgecastillo) January 7, 2020
Los Angeles let two of their veteran starting pitchers walk away in free agency this winter, losing Rich Hill and Hyun-jin Ryu. Hill went to Minnesota on a short deal with the Twins, and Ryu signed his own deal with Toronto to become their ace.
Signing Nelson gives the Dodgers a chance to give their young guys a chance to shine while offering a veteran presence to the rotation if needed. The 6’6 right-hander had spent his entire career with Milwaukee but has missed most of the last two years with injuries. He could potentially see time in the bullpen in 2020.
Nelson missed most of 2019 with right elbow effusion that sidelined him late in the season. That came on the heels of a torn labrum in his throwing arm that kept him out all of the 2018 season.
As a starter, his numbers are nothing fantastic to look at. He owns a career 4.26 ERA and 1.368 WHIP in games he has started in his career. But in 12 relief appearances, he has shown quality stuff. He owns a 3.31 ERA and a strikeout rate of 9.9 per 9 innings across 16.1 innings of relief.
As of now, the Dodgers rotation could potentially consist of Clayton Kershaw, Walker Buehler, Dustin May, Tony Gonsolin, Julio Urias, and a few other guys. Adding Nelson gives the team even more depth with essentially no risk, as his contract is HEAVILY incentive-laden.
Nelson could potentially reach $13 million over two seasons, according to reports.
The perfect Dodger free agent signing! We’re definitely going to win the WS now!
Where did we get this guy from, the 99 Cent Store? Hey, who needs Cole, or Clevinger, we have…I already forgot his name. Are we making big moves now? Are we there yet? I thought this was another story about a minor league aquisition when I first glanced it. Unfortunately, I was wrong.
I agree. Who needs Cole,Strasburg,Rendon,Betts. We have Nelson and that makes the 2020 World Series win a lock
What a big offseason we are having….keep it up!!!! Dodgers, we will finally win the WS with these outstanding signings.
Hopefully, everybody knows I’ve been 100% sarcastic
Juan, I’m with you. The only way to stop the insanity money ball ideology is to laugh! Because these guys are a joke!
Kirk, the one thing I keep trying to do is to understand that for myself, you and others here, there isn’t a darn thing any of us cando or say to change anything, in other words IIWII. His deal is incentive laiden so it really can’t hurt but I understand completely what you and Juan are saying.
Actually bud, there is something. Quit paying them to do it! Spend your money on the Lakers instead! They understand the concept of winning championships for their fans! The moves the Dodgers are making would be the equivalence of the Lakers signing G league players to fill a spot vacated by Lebron if he retired! Then telling the fan base they were going to win the PAC division with what they have!! Because their G league produces NBA ready talent! What’s the difference? We would take what they said as a joke! Thank God the Lakers are not the Dodgers!
Kirk, I live in Southern Oregon, which for me is about 850+ miles away so you can bet I won’t be making that trip to spend $$ at a game. the very last game I attended in person was on June 30, 2014, a game that was in the year just after the 1st of 7 division crowns. So I wasn’t too worried then about a WS because I figured they were well on their way to one. In that game Dan Haren pitched a 1 hitter through 7 innings and Dodgers won by a 1 to 0 score.
Love signing pitchers who haven’t played in 2 years due to injuries. Very astute.
This is just another small market move; a rehab project that they can get for almost nothing (in baseball terms) in the hope he can reclaim some lost value. This “brain trust” is just inept when it comes to improving this club. Just so typical of this FO.
Bottom of the 8 th, tie game, Dodgers bring in Nelson and his arm falls off!!!!
LOL!!!!
LOL, is correct, BLUE LOU! what do ya think ? He can’t hurt but certainly another reclamation project which is a Freidman specialty.
Oh that is a really good one! You win the Internet tonite!
Let’s hope that with another veteran we can use his experience to help our young pitchers mature more quickly and keep Dodger tradition of good pitching into the future. I don.t think the F.O. is thru yet. I believe there is stiill time and opportunities to add more, if needed.
Yeah, I heard Bartolo Colon wants to try to comeback. Geez they might even go after Hoyt Wilhelm except his retirement is permanent as of 2002. Who else is on the junk pile? They would be a candidate for the Dodgers FO who never saw and 6.00 or higher ERA that didn’t entice them… How about Matt Harvey, he who did so well for the Halos…. There must be a few ounces of gas left in that tank. Maybe they can talk Sandy Koufax into coming back. His arm has been rested for 54 years and what a sidebar story that would make!!! He’s a young 84!
Yes were joking… Its the only thing that keeps us from bursting a blood vessel in our necks.
Well said Blue Vinman. Pretty much sums it up too.
Exactly Blue!!! Lols
I think it’s a no lose signing. A base of 1mil. If he shows he’s recovered this just good insurance. No this is a smart signing!!
That’s Friedman for you
At least Freidman is consistent. Loves those failures and injured players. So this is the surprise for us fans he has been working on since Nov.1st.
Yeah, That Muncy guy won’t work out.
Yeah, but you know how it goes…blind squirrel…acorn…you know.
Welcome aboard Jimmy Nelson!
The Search For Comeback Pitcher of the Year continues.
YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING!
totally agree, wtf isn’t anything out there to improve our bull pen? Very disappointed in moves this winter! if the move Keke I may move.
That’s why we missed out on Cole. We didn’t value him highly enough because his injury history was not significant enough. Gotta love that algorthym!
We hire the handicapped!!?
This move cost nothing and means nothing but, man, the Dodger brass should spend some of their money on a PR person. After Kasten’s fiasco in the times they make this move?
We aren’t going to buy the spin from whatever PR person they hire just like we don’t buy the spin from the commenters that they send to comment sections
Exactly Don. All these new pop up fans all supportive and assuring us these are ” insurance” moves and even if their arms fall off, it was the right move! Meanwhile back in Reality, the Nat’s signed post season star Harris to their pen, also added Thames for 1 st base etc. So they keep getting stronger to add to their World Championship Roster and Friedman goes to the flea market!
Agree another body with a history of injuries. Another hope project! What are they thinking ? We are not getting better! Who is going to give us the pitching wins that they let walk?
Well folks, consistency thou art a jewel when it comes to reclamation projects but WSS. He can’t really hurt and with incentives, who knows. I am OK with this but it surely cannot be considered any impact move.
No one expected this to be an impact move. What this is is a low risk, high ceiling move economically priced. I like it. Good pitcher. I am disappointed in this offseason too, so far, and understand the snarkiness by a great many fans, but let’s not mock just to mock, shall we? This is a good signing, period.
True that and the only thing that would be a mock or to mock is the over all off season so far, in response to that 1st round elimination in the NLDS. Again, I am OK with this signing, he certainly could prove worthy of the incentives that are part of his deal, wss.
Another dumpster dive from Fraudman. We could have positioned ourselves to totally dominate the entire league this offseason and have done virtually nothing. Very disappointing, some of the fans have had enough. Unfortunately they obviously do not care.
This is being aggressive and putting our best foot forward???
The truth is, they are afraid to make an impact move. Might mess with their operating ratio or ROI. Can’t have that… the team might only be worth 2.8 billion instead of 3.2 billiion!
This has been the move I have been waiting for since the Hot Stove League opened a few months ago. I understand we signed another pitcher today also. This is our year…………………………….to be the laughing stock of baseball. Go Blue!!!!!
LOL
Lakers Lou!!! I got 2 tickets for 250 bucks! Hit the game at Staples! The Buss family will reward their fans!!! They win Championships for a reason….. Dodgers not at all…. Moves like this are awesome if your a Nationals,Yankees,Braves fan! Knowing L.A.Won’t be in your way…
None of these signings can hurt and have reasonable upsides. They signed Joe Kelly last year the more fan prefered way and how did that work out? When you sign a guy coming off a good season or several, there’s no guarantee he’ll pitch up to expectations. The LA front office would just as soon sign them for a year and then try again next year. The Dodger bullpen should be improved this year and they had about the 4th best ERA in MLB last year. They blew a lot of saves, 22 I think with Jansen accounting for 8. I don’t have a lot of confidence that KJ will right his ship but I think there will be an overall improvement.
“Hey, the fans are getting restless and we’ve got to look like we’re trying to do something besides make money. Who’s out there who will work for just about nothing?” Treinen? Didn’t he stink last year? Jimmy Nelson? I thought that guy retired in the 90’s. Well, he’s didn’t. Sign them, sign them both forthwith. What about Jason Schmidt and Tim Lincecum? Does anyone have their numbers? Upside my man, upside.
These moves are made to piss the fans off? It feels so embarrassing to be a dodger fan right now…. man!!!
The bottom line is, FO does not want to go to the world series at all this year. Might not make it to the playoffs.
It would be a wise business decision for them to miss the World Series because losing 3 out of 4 World Series would be bad for attendance as fans would really see the effect of this terrible offseason further proving that they never do enough to be better than the AL. They got their lackey Roberts who can sabotage the 2020 postseason
As far as Roberts goes exactly, Don. What makes me more upset than what actually took place in the NLDS last year is Roberts and his arrogant statement that if he had it to do over again he would make those exact same pitching decisions and moves that were made in that game 5 all over again. Watch again in 2020 how Dodgers will still be all left handed for the most part and the game of musical chairs and shuffle board with the lineups will again take place every time they face a LHP.
Just like last year. They wait too long and end up with leftovers that no one else wants Pollock and Kelly. Now we are all relieved and have worse additions than even that.
Garbage move by a garbage GM. The fans who love mediocrity like a few knuckleheads here applaud this silly move. BTW…Kasten is full of crap!