Relief Pitchers in the System

One of the hot-button topics every year for the Dodgers as the trade deadline approaches is whether or not the roster is good enough, or does it need to be bolstered through the trade market. This article is going to focus on what the Dodgers have in-house for late-inning high-leverage relief pitching because it is the position that sticks out the most when things go sideways.

In-House

Dellin Betances:

Betances is a 4-time all-star who the Dodgers picked up last Winter via free agency, and is just now getting going because he’s been fighting injury and was not activated until June 22nd. He’s had 5 appearances in OKC and has a 6.00 ERA to this point, but, as I said, he’s just now getting his feet underneath him, so I wouldn’t use that as a barometer. He’s been 92-93 on the fastball and his breaking stuff has looked good at times, but, having just got started back, again, it’s gonna take some time to sharpen everything up. I was in OKC for his first performance and took the video that you can see by clicking the picture on the left.

Justin Bruihl: 

Bruihl is a left-handed reliever that has been on the Frequent Flyer plan as he has been optioned 3 times so far in 2022, but has been really good both with LA and with AAA OKC. With OKC the Petaluma, California native has a 2.25 ERA and hasn’t allowed a run in his last 7 outings, and with LA he has a 3.57 ERA, and a WHIP of just 1.13. Bruihl has not been pitching in the closer role, but he has pitched quite a bit towards the back-end of games, so he has been placed in high-leverage situations.

Jose Adames: 

I included Adames in this article because he is a former 1st-round draft pick with 1st Round draft pick stuff. His fastball has hit 100 mph recently and his slider is legit. I say that knowing that he is a wildcard because he has 25 walks in 27 innings so far in 2022, and he walked 3 hitters in his 2nd to last performance on July the 2nd, so he is a work in progress. He also recently got sent down to AA Tulsa in an attempt to help him find the strike zone better and he only walked 2 in his last 6 outings that spanned 9 innings, so he has shown flashes of control. So, put him in your back pocket and follow his progress because he has some of the biggest stuff of any reliever in the game.

Marshall Kasowski:

Kasowski is a name that might not be on your radar but he is having a tremendous year with AAA OKC. His ERA is 2.34 and he has only allowed 4 earned runs in his last 33.2 innings. I don’t see him as an 8th or 9th inning guy with LA, but he could eat a couple of the middle innings and bridge games to the back end. If he could do that, then guys like Evan Phillips could be used more towards the end of games, so, in a roundabout way, he could provide late-inning, high-leverage help. If you click the picture you will see video I shot of him from up close so you can get a good feel for what his stuff looks like.

Ryan Pepiot:

I know, I know, Pepiot has been a starter, but we all know that the Dodgers will utilize every tool in their toolbox, and can you imagine how good Pepiot would be 1 time through a lineup with no concern to pitch count? Pepiot has some of the best “swing and miss” stuff of any pitcher in the game, and, as long as it is landing in the strike zone, it fits perfectly in big situations, because he can get strikeouts. Think back to the jams he has gotten himself out of, now imagine that in the 7th, 8th or 9th. It would be a great luxury to have that kind of swing and miss potential late in games to call out of the bullpen. Obviously, the first choice is for him to remain a starter, and I know he’ll be a great starter for many years in the MLB, but, for this year, it’s a matter of needs, and with May and Buehler returning, and the playoffs typically shrinking the need for a 5th starter, this could be the premium role for Pepiot and the best way to utilize his swing and miss stuff down the stretch and in the playoffs this year.

Mitch White:

Just like Pepiot, White has been a starter for the Dodgers, but as things tighten up, he could easily be used to eat some middle innings of big games and asked to face a lineup 1 time through the order. Like Kasowski, this gives the Dodgers more to choose from in the late innings and, thus, bolsters the options for that part of the game in a roundabout way as well.  White has been 94-96 on his fastball and his slider has been really good, so his stuff is suited perfectly as the 2 to 3-inning middle reliever in big games. For example, his ERA in the 1st and 2nd inning of games is 2.57 and 1.29, which means when he’s facing the top of the order for the first time he is good, and when he’s facing the bottom of the order for the 1st time he is great. On the contrary,  his ERA in the 3rd and 5th innings is 4.91 and 5.79, so that tells you he’s not nearly as effective the 2nd time through, especially against the top of the order. Bring him in the middle of the game to face hitters 5-9, and maybe a touch further than that, and he has the potential to give you 5 to 6 outs of scoreless baseball almost every time out.

Aaron Ochsenbein:

Ochsenbein is a right-hander that is one of the most unique pitchers in the organization, for a couple of reasons. First, his motion is, as he put it, “quirky”, and, like Tony Gonsolin, he features a Split-finger fastball. His splitter combined with his slider and well-placed fastball has been very good this year and it earned him a promotion to OKC recently. I’m not gonna sugarcoat it, his transition to AAA, specifically the PCL, has been a tough one to this point, but the league is such a hitter-friendly league in such hitter-friendly parks that it’s a transition and one he’ll make. Remember how Pepiot struggled with that same transition last year, or Buehlers first start in OKC or Urias first outing in AAA? Ochsenbein had 8 saves last year and has 2 so far this year, so he is used to high-leverage roles, and the movement he gets on his pitches works great in big moments because it makes him hard to barrel when hitters are under pressure.

Jon Duplantier:

Duplantier has recently been moved to a starting role, but could easily slip back into a relief role down the stretch and in the playoffs. His fastball is in the 92-94 range and he has the big curveball and a rapidly developing change-up that he thinks is his long-term best secondary pitch. I put him in the same category as Mitch White in terms of the type of role he could have. He could be anywhere from a starter to an opener to a multi-inning middle reliever that faces the order once, maybe extended depending on the situation. You can see him in action.

Michael Grove: 

Like Pepiot, Grove has been used as a starter, but could easily transition to a relief role for a stretch run and be great facing a lineup once. His ERA in the 1st innings of games is 3.60 and he has yet to allow a run in the 2nd inning of a game in OKC this year, so, again, bring him in and let him face 6-9, and he has shown that he could provide a scoreless bridge in that situation. Again, that gives room for other guys to bump to the back-end of games, so it can work as another roundabout option to bolster the back-end of games for the Dodgers.

Carson Fulmer:

Fulmer has been one of the best pitchers in all of the Minor Leagues in 2022 and has posted a 1.60 ERA and a WHIP of just 1.10. He also has 7 saves and has worked in the back-end of games all year for OKC, so he has proven he is really good in that role. We all know his story of being called up and DFA’d, but, just know, that he was a first-round draft pick for a reason and his change-up/curveball combo is really good and gets outs. Also, he is one of the most confident and competitive young men I have had a chance to talk to, so it is of no surprise to me that he has excelled the way he has this year in the high-leverage role he has been given.

Garrett Cleavinger:

Cleavinger doesn’t have much left to prove in AAA as he put up 0’s in 6 of his last 8 outings and 14 of his last 17. His backfoot slider is very good, his Velo is good, and he absolutely hates giving up runs. I know that sounds obvious, but, watch him for yourself and watch how angry, then motivated he gets when teams score on him. He easily has Major League stuff, that, in my opinion, could be used as a setup bridge to the 9th, a middle reliever maybe even as an opener. Cleavinger has 21.1 Major League innings, so he has at least gotten his feet wet, but he is ready for a shot to see what he can do at the next level.

Mark Washington:

Like Fulmer, Washington has been one of the best relief pitchers in all of Minor League baseball. Washington has registered and 1.78 ERA and a WHIP of just 0.92, and has 4 saves, so he is used to pitching when it matters the most. Washington is 6’7 and gets really good reach on his fastball and he also gets a lot of vertical drop to his pitches just simply due to how high the ball comes out of his hand. Washington started the year in AA and moved up to AAA at the end of May, so it would be a big jump, but the way he’s pitched the last couple years, it’s totally plausible to see him having success if given the chance.

Other possibilities

The Dodgers have some other long-shot candidates at relief as the season moves on, but the ones I included above have the most imminent possibility to help this year. Other more long-shot candidates in OKC would be Yadier Alvarez, Beau Burrows could be moved to the pen, Dakota Chalmers, Robbie Erlin, Sam Gaviglio, Justin Hagenman, Andre Jackson, and Daniel Zamora.

Power Arms in Tulsa: It would be a big jump to pluck someone from Tulsa, but Gavin Stone, Clayton Beeter, and Bobby Miller could all move to the pen, and all have the power stuff to get outs in high-leverage situations, and Landon Knack could easily get through a Major League order 1 time through in middle relief. Guillermo Zuniga leads Tulsa in saves and is another big power arm that hits 100 mph consistently and pairs that with a really good slider. Jose Martinez has spent time in AAA and hits 96, Nick Robertson is a 3-pitch pitcher that is 94-96,  and Gus Varland has transitioned to the pen and has hit 98 on a somewhat regular basis. Cameron Gibbens is a 6’8 power arm out of Australia, but he is still trying to get his feet underneath him after being injured most of this season.

Lefties in Tulsa: Austin Drury is a left-hander who just added a cutter, Alec Gamboa is left-handed as well and really locates and changes speeds, and John Rooney is a big left-hander that has a great backfoot slider.

Recent Promotions: Jose Hernandez hit 99 the other day and was the saves leader in the Midwest League when he was with Great Lakes, Kyle Hurt threw a 5-inning no-hitter while still pitching with the Loons, Kevin Malisheski has been close to unhittable in the last month or so, and Jordan Leasure who, once he got settled into AA, has been one of the most reliable relievers for Tulsa.