Los Angeles Dodgers Add Bullpen Help, Sign Matt Guerrier

Some might call this the offseason of the return of the monster contract in baseball. While that may be true with the large contracts handed out to players like Jayson Werth, Carl Crawford, and Cliff Lee, we could also call this winter the offseason of the relief pitcher.

Starting with the Joaquin Benoit deal in Detroit, relief pitchers have really cashed in this winter. The latest relief pitcher to cash in is now former Minnesota Twin, Matt Guerrier.

Guerrier signed a three-year, $12 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday. Guerrier becomes the 13th free agent signed by the Dodgers this winter.

Guerrier has spent the last seven years in a Twins’ uniform and compiled a 3.38 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 5.91 K/9, 2.80 BB/9, and a 45.7 percent Groundball Percentage in 472 innings.

Guerrier is your classic Twins middle relief pitcher. He throws strikes, doesn’t throw overly hard (90 mph at best), and pitches to contact.

Guerrier should serve as the Dodgers’ primary right-handed setup man to Jonathan Broxton as Hong-Chih Kuo will continue to setup against left-handed batters. Guerrier held righties to a .210/.264/.347 slash line in 2010.

It’s hard to complain about Guerrier getting a three-year deal considering that Benoit and Scott Downs received three-year deals as well. I also don’t have a problem with Guerrier making $4 million a year. He made a little over $3 million this season with the Twins. Most guys receive a raise in free agency.

Overall, I like a lot of things the Dodgers have done this offseason. I wouldn’t have given Juan Uribe $21 million, but I did like them bringing back Ted Lilly and I liked the Jon Garland signing.

The Dodgers should be right there at the end of the 2011 season with the San Francisco Giants and Colorado Rockies in the tough NL West.

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