Dodgers make roster move for recently released Royals reliever

It didn’t take long for former Royals relief pitcher Nick Anderson to find a new home. After being released by Kansas City and clearing waivers, Anderson simply waited for a reliever-needy team to pick him up.

A few hours later, the Los Angeles Dodgers did just that, agreeing to terms with the 33-year-old right-handed pitcher, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post on X.

The Royals designated Anderson to create a spot for newly acquired reliever Hunter Harvey. When Anderson, a five-year veteran of MLB service, declined a trip to the minors, he was released and became a free agent after clearing waivers on July 20, according to MLB insider Bob Nightengale.

Despite a lengthy injury history, including a torn right elbow ligament that caused him to miss much of the 2021 and 2022 seasons, Anderson has proven effective when healthy.

During his rookie season in 2019, he performed admirably, posting a 3.32 ERA, 1.077 WHIP and 110 strikeouts in 65 innings pitched. He followed that performance up by making the All-MLB first team in 2020. And after recovering from an elbow injury, Anderson reminded everyone why he was so highly regarded early in his career with a return to form in 2023. Last season with the Atlanta Braves, Anderson posted a 3.06 ERA, 9.2 K/9 and a 145 ERA+.

Though he has struggled this season with an ERA above 4.00, a WHIP of 1.402 and a career-worst BB/9, Anderson could be signed for the league minimum salary while the Royals pay the remainder of his $1.575 million contract.

Because he was extremely cost-effective and had serious past success as a reliever, it was inevitable that Anderson wouldn’t stay on the market for long. Sure enough, the Dodgers grabbed him the day he hit free agency. Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic clarifies that Anderson signed a minor league contract with the Dodgers, giving LA more flexibility and depth in the bullpen.

Dodgers sign former Royals reliever Nick Anderson

It’s been a tale of two halves for the Dodgers’ relievers. From the start of the season through the end of June, Los Angeles had one of the best bullpens in baseball. During that span, the Dodgers’ relievers ranked second in the MLB in ERA, WHIP and batting average against. LA’s bullpen ranked third in WPA and was top 10 in BB/9 and fWAR.

However, from June 30 through the All-Star break, the bullpen declined dramatically. As a group, Los Angeles relievers ranked 20th or worse in ERA and BB/9. And the Dodgers’ bullpen was particularly poor in batting average against (28th overall), WHIP (29th), WPA (29th), and fWAR (27th) during this period.

It’s clear the Dodgers could use some help in the bullpen. But the sky’s not falling for Los Angeles. The team is a healthy 17 games above .500, with a seven-game lead over the second-place Arizona Diamondbacks in the NL West. They have the second-best odds of winning the World Series at 14.3 percent, according to FanGraphs.

Of course, the Dodgers aren’t going to rest on their laurels. The addition of Anderson is just the opening salvo, as the team will be active at the trade deadline.

Los Angeles will almost certainly continue to explore the reliever market, as the team is reportedly interested in acquiring Tanner Scott from the Miami Marlins. The Dodgers are also looking for a starting pitcher and are expected to make a serious push for Garrett Crochet from the Chicago White Sox. The team has also been linked to White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr.

These players are all considered top prospects likely to be available at the trade deadline, and there will be serious competition for their services. But the Dodgers aren’t shy about making headlines. The team has the sixth-highest payroll in MLB and has made 11 consecutive postseason appearances.

Los Angeles is one of the few teams in baseball that is expected to compete for a title every year. Despite three straight 100+ win seasons, the Dodgers have been knocked out of the playoffs after just one series the last two years.

By signing megastar Shohei Ohtani to the largest contract in sports history – 10 years, $700 million – the Dodgers have announced they will do whatever it takes to win the franchise’s first non-COVID championship since 1988.