The first move the Los Angeles Dodgers made in free agency during this past offseason was to sign Blake Treinen to a one-year contract. He was coming off a down year with the Oakland Athletics and became a free agent after being non-tendered.
Treinen voiced confidence a rough 2019 season with the A’s was the exception and not indicative of the type of pitcher he is. The once-dominant closer additionally said he was open to filling any role out of the Dodgers’ bullpen.
While the Dodgers have already seen several of the new additions in Cactus League play, Treinen has not yet been among them. Instead, he’s been limited to bullpen sessions and facing batters on the backfields at Camelback Ranch.
That is due to change Saturday, when Treinen is among the pitchers scheduled to appear against the Colorado Rockies, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com:
Blake Treinen is scheduled to pitch in his first Cactus League game for the Dodgers tomorrow.
— Ken Gurnick (@kengurnick) March 6, 2020
Treinen was widely considered one of the league’s most dominant relievers as recently as 2018. He went 9-2 with a career-best 0.78 ERA and 38 saves in 68 games for Oakland. Treinen was selected to his first career All-Star Game that year and finished sixth in American League Cy Young Award. He also garnered votes for MVP, finishing 15th.
If the 31-year-old is able to come close to that level of production, it would be a significant boon for the Dodgers. Their bullpen does appear to be trending upward as Kenley Jansen and Joe Kelly have both had encouraging appearances in Spring Training thus far.
If Jansen succeeds and remains entrenched in his closer role, Pedro Baez, Kelly and Treinen will give Dodgers manager Dave Roberts plenty of options and versatility for late-game situations.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in our live shows, and more!
