Saturday, October 26, 2013

State of the Dodgers : Brian Wilson. Resign ? Closer ?



Even though it was close to two months on the team the above picture still looks a little odd to me. Seeing Brian in Dodger blue after years of watching him wear punk ass orange just didn't seem right to me. Now with this season over and looking ahead to next year I want to see more of the bearded one in blue.

When the Dodgers took a flyer on Wilson I wasn't expecting much. Low expectations can yield the best results and he happened to do that. He rehabbed in the minors after signing with the team and was back in the majors at the end of August. All he did was pitch 13.2 innings with an ERA of .66 with a WHIP of .88 while giving up just one earned run. I know this is a small sample size but he did impress. To top that off he was lights out in the post season with him giving up only 4 hits in 6 innings. To me it looks like he is back to his dominant self and it would be great to have back on the Dodgers. But is there a place to be had on it?

Up until this year Brian has been a closer and he has earned that right to do so again in the future. Problem is that we have a closer in Kenley Jansen. To a point Kenley has been jerked around with his position on the pitching staff. He was given the closer job then taken away and then the Dodgers went and signed Brandon League to a bad contract and gave him the closer job until he proved he was incapable of closing and Kenley was given the job back. All he did was return to his dominant self and showed he deserves the role. Do we ask Kenley AGAIN to take a back seat so Brian can remain on the team to be a closer? They both deserve to close. We have ace one and one A in the form of Greinke and Kershaw but can that work at the back end of the bullpen?

Seeing the contract that Ned gave Brandon there is no way that Brian will give a discount to any team as he has proven in his short stay with the Dodgers that he has recovered from his Tommy John surgery and is ready to return to closing duties. The Dodgers will not give Brian a 3/30 contract which is what I think Brian will be seeking, or at least that is the minimum he will be looking for. If somehow the Dodgers can retain Brian and have him pitch the 8th and the occasional 9th on Kenley's days off it would make the game that much shorter for the other teams against the Dodgers. As the Dodgers are looking long term I think they need to go "all in" next year as well with certain players and I believe that Brian might be had for a 1 year special for a little over 10M and I think the Dodgers should and would pull that trigger. Now the flip side is that there are a lot of teams that are in need for a good closer and Brian fits that bill.

Brian enjoyed his time with the Dodgers and seems to fit in quite well with his quirks and all. If last year you asked me do I want him on our team I would have said hell no. Now I think he would be a very important puzzle piece for a championship caliber team and hope that he is on the Dodgers come Opening Day next year.

Just my two cents . . .

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