In recent years the Los Angeles Dodgers have had a ton of success turning starters into relievers. In 2016, Joe Blanton became the team’s primary setup man to Kenley Jansen, and Brandon Morrow followed suit by doing the same in 2017.
Blanton and Morrow have both moved on to other teams, so the Dodgers are currently looking to find their next diamond in the rough, which could be right-hander Tom Koehler. He struggled greatly in 2017 with the Miami Marlins but after a trade to the Toronto Blue Jays, was able to find success as a reliever.
Although the Dodgers view Koehler in some sense as depth for the starting rotation, his primary focus will be on working out of the bullpen.
According to Cary Osborne of Dodger Insider, Koehler is aware of the Dodgers’ track record in converting a struggling starter to a successful relief pitcher, and he’s excited by the possibility:
“I’ve watched guys come (to the Dodgers) who have been successful starters in the Major Leagues and transition and become outstanding relievers,” Koehler said. “I’m not going to sit here and say I’m going to do what those guys did. Time will tell. But (the Dodgers) have a plan that has worked and feel I fit in that mold, so it definitely excites me.”
Koehler added the Dodgers having a blueprint has made it easier for him to cope with the fact that his starting days may be behind him:
“They have a blueprint and have been successful with it. It was an easy sell,” Koehler said. “You have to come and realize that maybe the starting days are behind you. You have to accept that. That’s tough, but to me I just want to win.”
Koehler yielded a 7.42 ERA in 60.2 innings as a starter last season, compared to a 3.00 ERA in 12 innings as a reliever. His strikeout rate also went from 7.6 to 8.3 after his move to the bullpen, so the Dodgers will be looking to see more of the same this year.
One positive about Koehler mainly being a starter throughout his six-year big league career is that even if he is a primary reliever in 2018, he still has the ability to make a spot start if needed.
If there’s one thing the Dodgers have relied on in recent years, it’s an abundance of starting pitchers.
