Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
The Dodgers made a quartet of moves earlier today, declining their club options on Hanser Alberto, Jimmy Nelson, and Danny Duffy, and then claiming utilityman Luke Williams off waivers from the Marlins.
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Hanser only spent a year with the Dodgers but he certainly left an impression as somebody who made the team feel a lot more fun and leading the club in vibes over replacement. However, the Dodgers will buy him out for $250k instead of bringing him back for the paltry sum of $2 million.
The writing seemed to be on the wall for that move when he was left off the NLDS roster.
While Hanser did his job defensively, playing all around the diamond, he was also horrid with the bat, posting a .244/.258/.365/.623 line that was good for a 73 wRC+. He was unironically more valuable as a pitcher by both fWAR and bWAR, pitching to a 4.09 ERA in 11 innings on the year.
Nelson had an option for $1.1 million in 2023 that didn’t have a buyout, so he won’t cost the Dodgers anything. It was already assumed he would be out for all of 2022 after needing Tommy John surgery and flexor tendon repair in August of last year, so it was a bit surprising they didn’t stick with him given that when healthy last year he was arguably their best reliever with a 1.86 ERA and 1.89 FIP in 29 innings.
Perhaps rehab hasn’t gone as smoothly as hoped or perhaps they just don’t want to be committed to a 40-man roster spot with him, but really only the Dodgers would have the information necessary on this move. Hopefully he’ll come back on a minor-league deal or something.
Duffy‘s option was also declined as the Dodgers were not on the hook for a buyout and didn’t want to pay him $7 million. For a guy who has never thrown a pitch for the Dodgers, he sure seemed to be a Dodger in spirit for a while.
Duffy last pitched in 2021, when he was effective over 61 innings to the tune of a 2.51 ERA and 3.40 FIP, but injuries quickly scuttled that season and then did the same to his 2022. Maybe the Dodgers bring him back on a minor-league deal for old times’ sake.
I would post video of him as a Dodger here but … well, you know.
Williams is a surprise addition, as between the Phillies, Giants, and Marlins in the past couple years he’s slashed just .240/.299/.316/.615 in the majors. However, while he primarily has seen time at second, third, left, and center, he has played every position on the diamond in his limited time in the bigs. I assume that versatility is what the Dodgers covet for depth, as well as his two minor-league options.
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Nothing particularly surprising yet in terms of turnover, but the decisions on Justin Turner and Cody Bellinger loom.
