Dodgers to sign reliever Coffey

Posted on February 3, 2012 by Jon Weisman

The Dodgers have signed runnin’ righty reliever Todd Coffey, pending a physical, to a one-year deal for $1.3 million, reports Dylan Hernandez of the Times.

The signing comes as a bit of a surprise, considering how full the Dodger bullpen seems even without counting on someone like Ronald Belisario. Los Angeles already has Javy Guerra, Kenley Jansen, Matt Guerrier, Josh Lindblom, Mike MacDougal, Blake Hawksworth (who is recovering from arthroscopic surgery) and Scott Elbert, as well as some promising arms in the minors.

The 31-year-old Coffey is better than the worst of that bunch, averaging 6.9 strikeouts per nine innings last year and 6.7 for his career. Opponents last year had a .305 on-base percentage and .351 slugging percentage against him. He stranded 29 of 36 inherited runners in 2011 (81 percent), a rate that was far better than he normally has. But he’s not so much better that I would see this as anything more as a move to add depth to the relief corps.

Update: Steve Slowinski of Fangraphs calls this signing “excellent,” with the important caveat that Coffey has wide platoon splits favoring him against right-handed batters. Mike Petriello of Mike Scioscia’s Tragic Illness also approves.

Anonymous

Coffey is for closers
http://underdog.typepad.com/ underdog

As I wrote in previous thread: Actually a pretty decent move, believe it or not. Would rather have him than MacDougal, frankly, but now we have both. Still expect a rookie call-up to have an impact this year, too, whether it be Tolleson or someone else. And yes, an additional lefty might be nice. Could that happen from within as well?

http://twitter.com/RB_GScott Gary Scott

Elbert should be fine, even able to get out most righties as well. Remember we have NRI John Grabow under our belt who a few years ago was right there with Joe Beimel as best lefty specialist.
http://profile.yahoo.com/4QP2DUPEEY7CBDI5TMVC3RDUKI Jeff

I would like to see us sign Mike Gonzalez to have an additional lefty in the pen – also in case Hawksworth is not ready to go after surgery this off -season

http://www.facebook.com/Vashkan Anthony Forkush

I just spoke to my Reds friend who said that they got rid of Coffey on a rail last year, but that he showed signes of an upward trajectory. In the middle of a strong pen he could be very effective in middle relief. Wondering if the organization has major concerns about the effectiveness of Guerrier. An expensive concern, no doubt.
Onlyatriple

From a previous thread — I was really impressed with the Dodgers’ Community Outreach report Jon linked to earlier. Say what you will about the McCourts baseball operation, their outreach work seems sincere and far reaching. Obviously they could have done more, but they did do a lot and deserve credit for it. Ouch, did I type something nice about Frank?
http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ Jon Weisman

Christopher Jackson looks at the Real First Basemen of Albuquerque:
http://exm.nr/xO1PEy
http://profiles.google.com/michaelgreen327 Michael Green

You can never have too much chocolate or too many relievers.

David Williamson

1. Diabetes

2. You could trade a useful player for a maybe-useful reliever.
Exhibit A: http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/anderla02.shtml
Exhibit B: http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/willimi02.shtml (Cubs)
Exhibit C: http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/baezda01.shtml

http://twitter.com/Derek_TC Derek TC

I don’t get it. 1. Suggests you can have too much chocolate. 2. Is just links to relievers.

Anonymous

I wonder if Hawksworth is behind schedule?

Then again, I watched the video and this may solicit some ad dollars from Starbucks.

Anonymous

It’s not as if Hawksworth were indispensable.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=713935344 Jason Ungar

Now if we could just get like 7 hitters that can hit we might be alright.
Anonymous

Julio Lugo of Leones del Escogido vs Hector Gimenez and the Tigres de Aragua in the Carribean World Series. Top of the 2nd, no score.
Anonymous

As shown above, Coffey has a “fat” man running in from the pen shtick that drove them wild in National Stadium.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Jim-Hitchcock/1676059435 Jim Hitchcock

Re: the Diner post:

Breaking Away was the Diner of my youth. Not as classic as Diner, of course, but I am an amateur
Anonymous

I approve the signing of Mr. Coffey!
Jon, congrats on the new site, it looks awesome.
Looking forward to meeting with the Dodger Thoughts community at our little corner of the internet.
http://www.twitter.com/ElJefedor Jeffrey Thomas III

Reminds me of Heath Bell with that run in. Now if he could pitch like Bell, that’d be something I could get behind.
http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ Jon Weisman

The Coffey signing is official.
Anonymous

Vin Scully loves his Todd Coffey anecdotes….
Anonymous

RIP Ben Gazzara. I guess that fatal disease he was diagnosed with in “Run For Your Life” finally caught up with him.

http://twitter.com/DavidYoungTBLA David Young

Died on the same day as John Cassavettes, 23 years apart. Not as quality a fact as John Adams and Thomas Jefferson dying on July 4, 1826, but there it is.

Anonymous

We don’t need Coffey we needed Fielder.
Anonymous

Well, it’s been awhile.

http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ Jon Weisman

Apparently I was flying too close to the sun for awhile … hello again

Anonymous

I’ve been silent, but still reading your every word, my friend. Glad you are still going strong.

Anonymous

Is it commonplace for an entity like the Dodgers to try to absolve themselves of something like Bryan Stow’s case as vehemently as the Dodgers have? Stupid question… http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/02/dodgers-beating.html

This reeks of the same kind of desperation that had Bingham and McCutchen preemptively suing Frank McCourt in hopes that they could just close their eyes and wish the whole Marital Property Agreement thing did not happen.

http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ Jon Weisman

I don’t know – I’m not sympathetic toward the Dodgers, but is it clear they’re liable?

http://twitter.com/Derek_TC Derek TC

I really don’t think they should be. The people who committed the crime are liable. I also think that all the people who stood around watching should really feel guilty as well. I would not have stood there and allowed that with out jumping in to help. I am sure many may disagree and I have strong opinions on those people as well but I will not share them. I understand that people think Frank should have had more security and different things he could have done but these attacks happen all the time in every huge parking lot in the world. Should a city or state be liae for every crime commuted inside of it? No, and that folks is what we are dealing with. Tens of thousands of people in a big area. You just aren’t going to prevent everything. The main difference with this case is the overall damage to poor Mr. Stow. People have been stabbed recently at Dodger stadium and other stadiums and someone was beat up at Giants stadium last year and none got the press. Coverage as Stow situation. Why?

http://twitter.com/Derek_TC Derek TC

That being said, the right thing to do would have been for Frank to emmediatly step up and offer assistance to Mr. Stow and his family. I believe Frank handled the situation very poorly but I don’t think he is at fault.

Anonymous

I am not really opinionated either way, honestly. My point is that it seems that his lawyers are taking a proactive stance similar to the lawsuit filed against Frank by his law firm. I was just wondering out loud how often this happens. It seems especially odd that he is asking the bankruptcy court to do it rather than a civil court.

Not a lawyer, so I am shooting from the hip…

Anonymous

Personally, I think that there is a degree of liability – just as any home owner can be liable for injuries that occur on their property. This wasn’t an accident – it was a crime – but if you invite people into your business, there’s an implication of safety, and it’s certainly not unusual for people to sue businesses in which they get robbed, raped, beaten up, etc. That said, I don’t think it’s cut and dry – which is why it should be tried in Superior Court. Bankruptcy Court is not the place to make a decision about it one way or another. I doubt it will be tossed. This strikes me as another example of McC’s predilection to leave no legal stone unturned. Given the chance of having it tossed, he couldn’t resist one last try – even though the end result will probably be just a lot more legal $ spent. Which is why I hope that whoever buys the D’s pays the extra $ it’ll take to get the parking lots and surrounding lands. Otherwise, as I believe Bob Daly said in an LA Times interview, there will be legal complications down the road from McC, somehow, someway.

http://twitter.com/Derek_TC Derek TC

Being sued and being liable are two very different things, anyone can be sued for any reason but that does not mean the suit is valid or that the person being sued lost the case. Going by what you said, letting people in your business makes you liable for other people’s actions? Rediculous. A home owner is not liable for any injury sustained on their property just because that injury occurred. It has to be proven it was their fault in some way. If that injury came from 2 other people vicously beating the injured person the homeowner would not be held responsible.

Anonymous

You should re-read my comment. I said it’s not cut and dry. And that it belongs in Superior Court, not Bankruptcy Court. I’m not a personal injury lawyer, but I know plenty – and if you want a professional to weigh in – that’s easily done. But what I do know is that people sometimes win claims against business owners in similar situations, where crimes have been committed against them on the business premises. And sometimes, they lose. That’s why there are courts and judges and lawyers. The issue McC is arguing now is whether or not it’s a valid suit. He wants it tossed. I doubt that will happen. And by the way, when McC’s spokesperson was asked about the Stowe suit impacting the sale, they answered no, because 1) they think they’ll win and 2) they think whatever sum is decided upon will be covered by McC’s liability insurance. You seem to have made your mind up on this whole issue in a rather vehement way, so I won’t argue this further, but let me suggest that businesses do not carry insurance unless they think that liability is a possibility.

Anonymous

So, because I disagree with you I “have my mind made up in a vehement way”? lol. I feel sorry for people like you. Besides, I did read your comment and you said that McCourt has a degree of liability. I just took issue with your comparison to a home owner being responsible if someone is injured on his property, because that is an entirely different issue, then you re-wrote your comment and took that comparison out, and told me to re-read it after the fact, like my comment had nothing to do with what you wrote.

Anonymous

I finally made it. I just hope I can find my way back. Now that I’m here, I think I’ll pull up a chair, kick off my shoes, wiggle my toes, and enjoy the company. Good to see so many familiar faces.
Anonymous

A decent signing overall, not sure why all of a sudden the Dodgers need another guy but he’s certainly better than Macdougal and who knows maybe a little competition in ST for the BP spots could be good. Also we don’t knjow the status of Hawksworth so a valid sigining.
Too bad they’re aren’t any decent hitters left….
Anonymous

We probably shouldn’t be too surprised, Ned likes to stock his pen. I recall the 2009 season, when he brought in Mota and his $2.4 million contract making him the highest paid reliever, as well as Ohman and later the Brim Reaper. And of course Dotel in 2010.

Anonymous

Octavio Dotel has a ring in a box. And lots of varieties of MLB authorized gear I imagine.
Anonymous

Like above, I am wondering out loud…

What kind of GM would Ned be with a big boy budget? Would he have been in on Pujols and Fielder without being creative with opt outs? Would he have broken the bank for CC/Cliff Lee? I know that his minor to medium money moves have been widely panned (Harang and Rivera particularly irk me), but I wonder how much his philosophy would change with a more forgiving budget. He seems awfully aggressive without need sometimes and rarely waits out the market like he did here with Coffey.

Anonymous

A man who spends unwisely with a small budget will just spend more unwisely on a big budget. On a small budget it is even more important to spend wisely.

http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ Jon Weisman

Two new posts up top.

Derek Frank

Jon, I just wanted to express my gratitude for a site like this. I was raised a Dodgers fan since 1984 when I was 3, and still am a die-hard to this day. My wife, for my 30th bday last year, sent me to opening weekend in LA, and as a present to read on the plane, your book. I was enthralled with it, and finished before I landed (MT to LA). I made a promise to my kids, to start the book at spring training every year, so that they could know the history of one of the most storied franchises in all of sports. Keep up the great work, and GO BLUE!

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_5PLVK7VEIPQAIVYZVS2J5NGUEA Joe Pierre

It’s good to know we have Coffey in the bullpen, are there any desserts? (LOL)