One of the biggest reasons the Los Angeles Dodgers lost to the Boston Red Sox in the World Series was because of the collapse of their bullpen, particularly in Game 4 when they blew a 4-0 lead in the seventh inning.
Because of that, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman is putting a focus on retooling the group of relievers this winter. One name that they have been linked to is David Robertson, who is coming off another solid season with the New York Yankees.
Should the Dodgers want to go with more of a power pitcher, one name to keep an eye on is Joe Kelly, who contributed to the Red Sox winning the Fall Classic. According to Rob Bradford of WEEI Radio, the Dodgers may be the most aggressive team in pursuing him:
According to multiple major league sources, the Dodgers, Mets and White Sox have joined the Red Sox in becoming the most aggressive when it comes to pursuing the services of Kelly. Of all the teams Los Angeles may be putting the biggest push on garnering the services of the 30-year-old.
Kelly is a name that Dodger fans are very familiar with, most notably for when he plunked Hanley Ramirez and fractured his ribs in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series in 2013. At the time, Kelly was a starter for the St. Louis Cardinals.
The 30-year-old appeared in 73 games for the Red Sox in 2018, posting a 4.39 ERA, 3.57 FIP and 1.36 WHIP with 68 strikeouts and 32 walks in 65.2 innings.
He was particularly good for Boston in October, allowing just one earned run with 13 strikeouts and zero walks in 11.1 innings across nine postseason appearances. He has a 2.49 ERA in 47 career postseason games.
