MLB Rumors: Los Angeles Dodgers could release Brandon League?
By Bryan Rose
The Los Angeles Dodgers have one of the best starting rotations in all of Major League Baseball and their bullpen isn’t far behind.
But if there’s one wart that has been plaguing the Dodgers bullpen, it’s Brandon League.
League was acquired by the Dodgers from the Seattle Mariners during the 2012 season and pitched very well during his short stint in Dodger blue.
But come 2013, League was atrocious and it’s been more of the same for the wild reliever this Spring.
That may not normally be a big issue, but League’s never been what you’d call a stopper (a 3.80 career ERA for a reliever isn’t exactly overpowering) and the fact that he’s blocking some extremely talented young arms who are MLB ready has to be a concern.
That has lead to speculation that the Dodgers could eat the $17 million dollars remaining on League’s contract by cutting him.
"The Dodgers are going to hang on to him and dispatch all of their strong, young arms? They have 17 million reasons to keep sending him out there and hope he regains the form he displayed in the month of September in 2012 (0.55 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, six saves). That’s a crazy amount of money to eat, so chances are he’ll remain on the team regardless of his spring, but if he doesn’t turn it around early this season, he could force the hand on a team trying to win a World Series. And possibly sooner."