Joe Kelly beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, and now he's reportedly joining them.
The right-hander agreed to a three-year, $25-million deal with the reigning National League champions Thursday, sources told Jon Morosi of MLB Network.
The Dodgers watched the hard-throwing reliever torment them during the World Series as a member of the Boston Red Sox. Kelly tossed six shutout innings against Los Angeles over five games, allowing just four hits while striking out 10.
Kelly should help solidify a bridge to closer Kenley Jansen in the Dodgers' bullpen - a piece they missed at times last season. A former starter, Kelly battled ups and downs last season, finishing with a 4.39 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, and 68 strikeouts over 65 2/3 innings. The overall production doesn't seem impressive, but Kelly had everything click during the postseason, where he allowed just two runs (one earned) over 11 1/3 innings, striking out 13 while not issuing a walk.
Kelly, a California native, told reporters earlier this week that he had received interest from a number of teams, with some looking at him to serve as their closer. The payday from the Dodgers is significant, as the 30-year-old entered the offseason having earned $10.8 million over his seven-year career.
