Welcome to a brand new edition of ‘Mound Visit Monday’.
Every week, there’s usually at least one good signing that took place over the course of this week over the last 20 years. Well, that can’t be said about this upcoming week. You’re going to have to put your thinking cap on to see if you remember these players.
These are the most notable transactions between February 14-20 going back to 2000.
February 15
2017: Signed Sergio Romo as a free agent
This is probably the most notable transaction. Prior to signing with the Dodgers, Sergio Romo had a very successful nine-year tenure with the Giants. He was one of the more reliable relievers in baseball, was an All-Star in 2013 and won three World Series rings.
His time with the Dodgers was arguably the worst stint of his big-league career. He appeared in 30 games for LA, posting an ERA of 6.12 with a 5.76 FIP and 1.40 WHIP. Ironically, he was actually striking out batters at the highest rate of his career (11.2 K/9). His problem was with command, as he issued walks more frequently than any point in his career (4.3 BB/9). In addition, he was allowing 2.5 home runs per nine innings, by far the worst of his career.
Romo was traded to the Rays before the trade deadline in 2017. Since being traded to Tampa Bay, he’s bounced around and played for the Marlins, Twins and Athletics.
2020: Traded Kyle Garlick to the Philadelphia Phillies. Received Tyler Gilbert
Kyle Garlick spent one season at the big-league level for the Dodgers. In 2019, he appeared in 30 games for LA. He was actually pretty solid in his limited time, posting an OPS of .842 with seven extra base hits in his 48 at bats.
He was traded to the Phillies in exchange for Tyler Gilbert. If that name sounds familiar, that’s because he’s the rookie on the D-Backs who threw a no-hitter against the Padres last season. He was drafted by the D-Backs in the 2020 rule 5 draft and we never got to see him in Dodger blue.
Well, except in spring training 2020.
February 16
2011: Signed Lance Cormier as a free agent
Lance Cormier spent the final season of his eight-year career in Los Angeles. It wasn’t quite the farewell he would have hoped for, though. He appeared in a total of nine games, posting a 9.88 ERA, 6.90 FIP and 1.98 WHIP. In 13.2 innings he allowed 17 runs to score on 22 hits while issuing nearly as many walks (5) as strikeouts (7).
He was released by the Dodgers in May of 2011. He signed with the Rays a week later, but never pitched in the big leagues again.
February 18
2017: Released Darin Ruf
Today I learned Darin Ruf was on the Dodgers’ 40-man roster at one point. Seriously, I have no recollection of that at all.
Per Eric’s article back in 2017, Ruf was two weeks shy of qualifying for Super Two status, which would have given him a raise through salary arbitration. He ended up signing a deal in Korea, signing with the Samsung Lions for $1.1 million after the Dodgers sold his rights.
Fast forward to 2021 and he turned into one of the greatest hitters on the planet it seemed. But hey, he was a Dodger! Not only that, there’s actually a photo of him in a Dodgers jersey!
February 19
2016: Signed Louis Coleman as a free agent
You didn’t expect to remember Louis Coleman as a Dodger today, did you. Well here we are. He appeared in 61 games for the Dodgers in 2016. In 48 innings of action, Coleman posted an ERA of 4.69 with 45 strikeouts and 24 walks.
I went back to his player review and he had an all-time classic quote about leaving the Royals organization prior to joining the Dodgers.
“I was upset when I got let go because I wanted to be with them forever,” Coleman said. “I wanted to be the middle reliever Derek Jeter that stayed with them for 20 years.”
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