The Dodgers were very busy on Friday due to the deadline to exchange desired salary figures for the 2023 season.
Los Angeles had ten of their players that were arbitration-eligible, and they signed nine of those ten, excluding the 2022 early NL Cy Young candidate Tony Gonsolin.
Three of those players were relievers who played vital roles in 2022 and will look to continue that role in Dodger blue in 2023.
Dodger insiders Jack Harris and Bill Plunkett announced the deals of Yency Almonte, Brusdar Graterol, and Evan Phillps to avoid arbitration.
All three righty relievers were in their first year of arbitration eligibility.
The other six players that the Dodgers signed to avoid arbitration were Julio Urias, Walker Buehler, Will Smith, Trayce Thompson, Dustin May, and Caleb Ferguson.
Evan Phillips was the most efficient reliever for L.A. in 2022; in his first entire season as a Dodger, he was dominant. The righty had a 7-3 record with a 1.14 ERA, 77 strikeouts, and a 0.76 WHIP in 64 games and 63 innings pitched.
The longest-tenured Dodger of the three, Brusdar Graterol, suffered through some injuries in 2022 but was still pretty solid. Graterol went 2-4 with a 3.26 ERA, had himself four saves, and a 0.99 WHIP in 46 games and 49.2 innings pitched.
And finally, the first-year Dodger, Yency Almonte, was lights out when he was on the mound for the Boys in Blue.
Almonte also suffered through injuries in 2022, but when he was on, he had a 1.02 ERA in 33 games and 35.1 innings pitched. Yency only allowed 18 hits, four runs, and two homers while having a 0.79 WHIP.
It’s great to see the Dodgers avoid arbitration with most of their players, and with the season closing approaching, we’re excited to see what they have in store.
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