While the Los Angeles Dodgers front office was heralded for re-signing Rich Hill, Kenley Jansen and Justin Turner last winter, their inking of Brandon Morrow to a Minor League contract seemingly loomed just as large.
A former starting pitcher, the hard-throwing righty saw success last season with the San Diego Padres when pitching out of the bullpen. This season marked his first full year exclusively pitching in relief.
The Dodgers added Morrow to their active roster in late May, ahead of a deadline that would’ve allowed him to opt out if not with the Major League team. Morrow seized the opportunity and emerged as a key reliever for manager Dave Roberts.
He helped solve the conundrum of getting the ball to Jansen by fortifying a role as the Dodgers’ primary setup man. Now, the 33-year-old is among the Dodgers’ six free agents.
While Morrow is facing some uncertainty this offseason, he expressed a hope to re-sign with the Dodgers, via J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group
“I would love an opportunity to come back,” Morrow said after the game.
There isn’t much of a shortage for viable right-handed relief pitchers, as Wade Davis and Greg Holland are also free agents. But they both figure to command contracts that are more lucrative than what Morrow may receive.
In his first season with the Dodgers, Morrow went 6-0 with a 2.06 ERA, 1.55 FIP, 0.92 WHIP, and 50 strikeouts in 43.2 innings across 45 games. He became only the second pitcher in MLB history to appear in seven World Series games in a single year.
