Blue Jays sign Octavio Dotel

[LBJSeizedMyID]

Slightly cheaper than Gregg wasn't he? Think I would've rather hold on to Gregg, although I think it would've required picking up both options. Dotel is another Gregg I suppose, but his splits vs lefty batters is downright scary.

[luvtheteam]

I'll take Gregg and his 37 saves any day. He could build on that as well. Don't see why he couldn't keep his walks down with a bit more attention to it. This was a breakout year of sorts for him in the closer role.

Not expecting a sandwich pick for Dotel as he's better off accepting arbitration at his age and salary range. As i noted earlier, he would probably have been better off accepting arbitration this year.

Overall, not happy with this move and the closer situatioin. I've got my fingers crossed that nobody signs Gregg and we bring him back.

[Michael Bradley]

In 2009, left-handed batters had a 1.000 OPS against Dotel. In 2010, it was .993. I don't know how smart it is to have Dotel in a role where he'll have to get lefties out too, but whatever. If he can pad his saves total while maintaining high K rates and an ERA in the mid-3's, maybe he is a trade asset at the deadline or a Type B at the end of the season. Worst case, he flames out and the Jays wasted $3 million for one season.

Dotel, Camp, Frasor, Janssen, Purcey, Villanueva, Roenicke, etc, isn't the sexiest bullpen. Seems pretty hit or miss with a lot of these guys, but it could be a high K pen that is hard to hit based on the ratios of some of those guys. Regardless, Scott Downs will really be missed.

[Hoopstarr]

http://twitter.com/#!/jay_jaffe/status/ ... 6926815232

Octavio Dotel had MLB's highest flyball rate in 2010 (http://bit.ly/gEM4BH) & is moving to division where all 5 parks had abv-avg HR rates

[LittleOzzy]

Updated the thread title now that he has signed.

[hyper316]

http://twitter.com/#!/jay_jaffe/status/20141966926815232

Octavio Dotel had MLB's highest flyball rate in 2010 (http://bit.ly/gEM4BH) & is moving to division where all 5 parks had abv-avg HR rates

uh oh, that's not good news... hopefully the pitching coaches can change that, but seems unlikely since he's so old already

[wlujaysfan55]

checking out his 2010 stats, he had a brutal April & settled down the rest of the year. He'll probably average around his career era of 3.75.

Low risk move - save a $1M vs. Gregg. In addition, being around Bautista, Villanueva, Encarnacion + other South Americans (Molina, Escobar) coupled with playing in a culturally friendly & diverse city like Toronto may help him overachieve.

But we know what we're getting here with Dotel & should have around 30 saves give or take.

[hyper316]

can we be sure that dotel is going to be our closer at this point?

[LBJSeizedMyID]

can we be sure that dotel is going to be our closer at this point?

At $3.5 M you would have to think so. Although I could see Jason Frasor splitting duties.

[wlujaysfan55]

can we be sure that dotel is going to be our closer at this point?

At $3.5 M you would have to think so. Although I could see Jason Frasor splitting duties.

He's probably penciled in contingent on performance.

[SharoneWright]

Griffin hates it.

If the Jays are bringing him in as a closer, which is what his agent suggested strongly to ESPN, then that’s a mistake by the formerly bulletproof Anthopoulos.

Dotel has been granted free agency five times and has been traded five other times. He has been teammates with 12 players who were also teammates of his manager John Farrell, who retired as a player in 1996. He’s been around the block with 101 career saves. Dotel was 3-4, with a 4.08 ERA, a 1.313 WHIP and 22 saves in the NL last year and now steps into the lion’s den of the AL East. His career WHIP (walks + hits/Innings) is 1.210 in the NL and 1.380 in the AL. Against the three AL East powers, the Red Sox, Yankees and Rays, he has a career 5.86 ERA and a 1.651 WHIP in 42 innings.

http://www.thestar.com/sports/baseball/ ... ays-closer

[flatjacket1]

The John Ferral effect

1 ERA, .8 WHIP 40 saves.
BOOK IT

[Mike Hunt]

We can't forget that within 2 months of joining the jays, he will have one of the best change-ups in the league and will be able to get anybody (lefties included) out with it... Sad thing is, I should green font that statement but it seems to be a pattern with this team (a good pattern).

[RapsFanInVA]

The John Ferral effect

1 ERA, .8 WHIP 40 saves.
BOOK IT

*Feral