Editorials

Dodgers: The Ups and Downs of Pedro Baez’s 7-Year Career in Blue

Long-time Dodgers reliever Pedro Baez has reportedly signed a two-year deal with the Houston Asterisks. Per the LA Times Jorge Castillo and ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Houston will pay Baez between $12-14M for the next two seasons with a $7.5M club option for the third year.

The deal signals the end of Baez’s tumultuous seven-year career with the Dodgers. True blue fans argue about many things, and La Mula was right near the top.

The Good

2018 Regular Season and Playoffs

Baez had a solid 2017 regular season (2.95 ERA in 64 IP), but melted down that September (10.38 ERA). Baez retooled his pitch sequencing for 2018. That year, he threw fewer fastballs than ever while effectively mixing in his slider and changeup.

Fastball Usage

  • 2014: 81.0%
  • 2015: 74.0%
  • 2016: 74.8%
  • 2017: 72.7%
  • 2018: 62.2%
  • 2019: 50.9%
  • 2020: 42.2%

Petey finished the 2018 regular season with a 2.88 ERA and the lowest average exit velocity of his career (84 MPH). He also posted his lowest HR/9 rate (0.64)

That postseason, he appeared in 10 games, recorded a 1.59 ERA, and struck out 14 in just 11.1 IP.

2016 NLDS Game 1 vs Washington Nationals

With the Dodgers clinging to a 4-3 lead in Game 1, Baez provided the crucial bridge to Kenley Jansen. He induced an Anthony Rendon pop-up to finish the seventh and record the first out of the eight against Ryan Zimmerman. Jansen record a five out save (every Dodger fan’s favorite!) to seal the Game 1 win for the Dodgers.

Baez finished the 2016 NLDS with a 0.54 WHIP and didn’t allow a hit in 3.2 IP. The rest of the 2016 playoffs did not go so well for Petey.

The Bad

2016 NLCS Game 5 vs Chicago Cubs

With the series tied 2-2 and LA down 3-1, Roberts inserted Baez to pitch to the bottom third of the Cubs order in the top of eighth. Addison Russell reached on a Baez error, Willson Contreras singled, and Albert Almora sacrifice bunted.

Runners on second and third.

The lineup turned over.

Dexter Fowler and Kris Bryant both singled. In the blink of an eye, it was 5-1. Roberts, with the game out of hand, brought in Ross Stripling to put out the fire. Stripling gave up a double to Javier Baez – three Cubs scored.

The scorebook reads just one earned run for Baez, but it’s safe to say he deserved all five. The Dodgers would go on to lose the game and the series to the Cubs.

2015 NLDS Game 3 vs New York Mets

Granted, the Dodgers were down 10-4 when Pedro came in to start the seventh inning, but it was still rough. He failed to record a single out! A single to Travis d’Arnaud followed by back-to-back walks.

Pedro got yanked for J.P. Howell and was charged for all three runs scored that inning. The Mets won the game 13-4 and subsequently, the series.

Even after winning winning a championship, this writer is still ashamed that the Dodgers lost to freakin’ Mets in the playoffs.

2014 NLDS Game 1 vs St. Louis Cardinals

This game marked the beginning of both playoff reputations for Pedro Baez and Clayton Kershaw.

LA was up 6-2 at home entering the seventh. Don Mattingly and 54,265 Dodger fans watched the Cardinals record six hits(!) against Kershaw. The score sat at 7-6 in favor of the Cardinals when Baez finally relieved Kershaw. La Mula gave up a three run jack to Matt Holiday to give the Cards a 10-6 lead. They went on to win Game 1 10-9.

The horror! The horror!

Final Thoughts

Pedro Baez’s departure to Houston signals the end of a polarizing Dodgers career. His playoff shortcoming colorfully illustrated Roberts’ tendency to over-utilize “preferred” relievers and ignore past performance.

Every fanbase bemoans a controversial reliever who has faltered in the playoffs. Pedro Baez, correction, World Series champion Pedro Baez, is forever etched in Dodger fandom lore.

For better or worse.

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Eric Eulau

Born and raised in Ventura, not "Ven-CH-ura", California. Favorite Dodger Stadium food is the old school chocolate malt with the wooden spoon. Host of the Dodgers Nation 3 Up, 3 Down Podcast.

5 Comments

  1. There was a point a while back where fans were booing when he came into games so it was not all happy times during the regular season. Like several other good soldiers (Pedersen, Wood, Hernandez, hopefully not Turner) Baez got to end his Dodger career on a high note.

    1. Baez was up and down his whole tenure with us. Never knew what was coming. Of course, the bad times were always in the back of everyone’s mind. Hope he has a decent time with a fresh start. But at the same time I hope he comes into a lot of games that are already in the loss column.

  2. In a late April 2019 Saturday home game against the Pirates, The Dodgers were clinging to a lead. The Pirates rallied in the 8th to load the bases with nobody out. Dave Roberts went to the bullpen to brining in Pedro Baez. Let that sink in. Dave Roberts brought Pedro Baez into the 8th inning of a game when the Dodgers were desperately trying to hold on to a lead. Dave Robersts brought Pedro Baez into a bases loaded, nobody out situation. All Pedro Baez did was get the next 3 Pirates hitters out without giving up a single run. It was Pedro Baez’ brightest moment as a Dodger. The crowd that night showed him great love. It would be great if you could post the clip from that game

  3. “Jansen record a five out save (every Dodger fan’s favorite!)”
    “Is forever etched in Dodger fandom lore.”
    PLEASE!! Just call it as you really see it!! Jansen is not a favorite of mine. Both players had decent games, to bad games, and yet (again) when we counted on them the MOST, they let us down. True, I’ve only been a fan for only 29 years, – (which is probably minuscule to others) -and have seen many players, coaches, management come and go. But with Jansen and Baez, both will not be missed by me.

    1. You have forgotten the Jansen that was compared to Mariano Rivera. He DID have a great run with us. He is now an average reliever. From ’12 through ’17, Kenley was HOF level. He will get some votes when his career is done. He still is a serviceable reliever. Roberts needs to pick his spots. And he will head into free agency as a 6th or 7th inning type reliever. UNLESS he figures a new wrinkle to offset his decline in velocity and decline in movement on his cutter. But lets never forget his dominate stretch.

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