Gary A. Vasquez-USA Today Sports
After Sunday afternoon’s victory over the Milwaukee Brewers the Los Angeles Dodgers have 12 wins this season.
Closer Brandon League has saves in eight of those 12 wins.
There has been much conversation about the Dodgers signing League to a three year extension after trading for him last summer as bullpen insurance, then putting him in the closer’s role after Kenley Jansen was shut down with an irregular heartbeat.
What were the Dodgers supposed to do? Jansen’s long-term health was uncertain and League was a proven closer. GM Ned Colleti, on the reference of manager Don Mattingly locked League down for the next three seasons.
Jansen is fine as it turns out, and is the top set-up man out of the bullpen. Jansen has been pegged as the closer of the future for L.A. and was doing a nice job in that role last season after wrestling the job away from Javy Guerra. The former catcher turned strike out specialist recorded 25 saves for the blue crew before his recurring heart condition resurfaced.
League has shown both moments of brilliance and shakiness. On a couple of occasions he has allowed multiple hits and even runs to score on his way to finally closing the door on the opponent. He only has one blown save.
With Jansen being only 25 years old and League having turned 30 this year, it is a wise move for the Dodgers to get as much as they can out of League—as long as he is effective at closing games.
They may not need him for that long if Jensen looks like he is ready to take over full time. League then represents a solid trade option for Colletti as the trading deadline looms this summer.
Until then, it is a good insurance policy for the Dodgers to have in League as he earns his team’s trust in the closer’s role.
Kenny Bristow is a Los Angeles Dodgers writer for www.RantSports.com.
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