The Dodgers have been aggressive yet again this offseason, particularly in the pitching market. The two biggest splashes were the signings of two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell to a five-year, $182 million contract and Japanese superstar Roki Sasaki.
However, they've also been collecting bullpen arms, notably re-signing Blake Treinen and bringing in free agent Tanner Scott (they're also nearing a deal with Kirby Yates). With all of these moves, one wonders what will happen to some of the pitchers who are a little further down the depth chart, like former Red Sox reliever Joe Kelly.
The 36-year old Kelly has been up and down since leaving Boston in 2018. He was terrific in 2020 and 2021, then struggled as a member of the White Sox in 2022 and 2023 before being traded back to Los Angeles at the deadline, where he finished the season strong. He was inconsistent again last year, posting a 4.78 ERA in 32 innings pitched. Inconsistency has been a theme of Kelly's career — if he's on, he can be a lights-out reliever, but that's been a big "if."
Red Sox fans will fondly remember Kelly from the 2018 World Series run, where he put on a show by allowing just one earned run in 11 1/3 innings of work in the postseason and had a scoreless outing in every game of the World Series. The fiery Kelly was one of Boston's high-leverage bullpen arms, alongside Nathan Eovaldi and Craig Kimbrel.
Never forget Joe Kelly’s last inning as a member of the Red Sox he struck out the side in the game-clinching win of the World Series. One of my favorites, gonna miss him. pic.twitter.com/yDr4uip3Of
— Red Sox Dynasty (@RedSoxDynasty_) December 13, 2018
Whether or not Kelly can contribute meaningfully to any team in 2025 is uncertain, but what is certain is that he is a fan favorite — a status he cemented by poking fun at the Yankees after their loss in the World Series. The same cannot be said for all of the team's other signings, particularly Aroldis Chapman.
Boston is a natural landing spot for Kelly, who is familiar with the organization and is a low-stakes investment. Even if he doesn't regain his 2018 postseason form, there's still a chance he can perform at a high level. If nothing else, he can eat innings and add depth/experience to the bullpen.