Dodgers reportedly interested in Joba Chamberlain

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The Dodgers could add a relief pitcher from outside in the coming days. The latest rumored interest is in free agent Joba Chamberlain, per Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, who also reports the club is "considering other possibilities as well."

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said Thursday the Dodgers have a number of pitchers already in camp who could fill in for injured closer Kenley Jansen, though the club continues to look at other bullpen options both via trade and on the free agent market.

"We have a number of guys internally who have compelling upside stories, and are interesting guys with a chance to be interesting options for Donnie [Mattingly] and Rick [Honeycutt]," Friedman said. "The best way to have success [in the bullpen] is to have as many options as you can.

"We're always keeping an open mind on how to get better. Right now, the guys that we've had some trade discussions about, the guys who are freely available, we're going to try to sift through it and figure it out, as opposed to a reactionary move that may look good in the moment but doesn't necessarily fill our long-term goals."

Chamberlain, 29, put up a 3.57 ERA and 3.16 FIP in 69 games with the Tigers last year, with 59 strikeouts and 24 walks in 63 innings. He was the primary setup man in Detroit, with 49⅓ of his 63 innings (78 percent) coming in the eighth.

His 22.4-percent strikeout rate and 9.1-percent walk rate in 2014 were right in line with his career marks of 23.1 percent and 9.4 percent, respectively. Chamberlain induced a ground ball on 53.2 percent of his balls in play last year, the second-highest mark of his career.

The Dodgers have been rumored to be in the market for relief help in recent weeks, even before Jansen's injury. Friedman said there were a number on ongoing discussions.

"If we bring somebody in in the near term, it will be somebody we were already talking to pre-Kenley's injury," Friedman said.

Chamberlain made $2.5 million in 2014, and without the closer tag would presumably be a less-expensive option than fellow free agents Francisco Rodriguez and Rafael Soriano.