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The Dodgers found a solid bullpen contributor at the trade deadline in left-hander Tony CIngrani.
What went right
Cingrani was acquired from the Reds on July 31, in exchange for Scott Van Slyke and minor league catcher Hendrik Clementina.
Though he struggled with the Reds, posting a 5.40 ERA and 7.02 FIP in 25 games, Cingrani proved effective in relief with the Dodgers with a 2.79 ERA and 1.86 FIP in 22 games, with 28 strikeouts and six walks.
Cingrani used his slider 22.9% of the time with the Dodgers after throwing it just 2.2% with the Reds (he threw eight total sliders in 2017 with Cincinnati). With the Dodgers, in at-bats that ended with a slider against Cingrani opposing batters were 3-for-15 (.200) with eight strikeouts.
“With what Honey’s done mechanically, with the information he’s gotten from our baseball operations department, and No. 1 was his buy-in. All those things have allowed him to maximize his pitching profile,” manager Dave Roberts said. “Against lefties and righties, he’s found a lot of confidence in understanding what his pitch characteristics can do. He’s hungry for information.”
Left-handed batters were just 6-for-32 against Cingrani, hitting .188/.212/.219 with 14 strikeouts and one walk. He was effective against right-handers as well, holding them to .237/.326/.342.
After allowing nine home runs in 99 batters faced with Cincinnati, Cingrani allowed just one regular season home run in 77 batters faced with the Dodgers. That home run came in his Dodgers debut on Aug. 3, and he kept opponents in the park for his final 21 appearances of the season.
What went wrong
Cingrani allowed just one run in seven postseason appearances totaling five innings — this should probably go in the “what went right” section — but that one run was huge. Brian McCann homered against Cingrani in the eighth inning of Game 5 of the World Series that widened the Astros’ lead to three in a game the Dodgers would eventually lose in extras.
2017 particulars
Age: 27
Stats: 2.79 ERA in 22 games with LA, 28 K, 6 BB in 19⅓ IP
Salary: $1.825 million, of which the Dodgers paid approximately $618,306
Game of the year
Cingrani pitched two scoreless innings against the Pirates on Aug. 22, his longest outing of the season, with two strikeouts.
Roster status
With four years, 88 days of service time Cingrani is eligible for salary arbitration this winner, with MLB Trade Rumors projecting his 2018 salary as $2.2 million. Cingrani is out of options, having used them from 2013-15.