During his time with the Dodgers, relief pitcher Joe Kelly has become a popular figure among the team's supporters. With his distinct personality, he stole the hearts of fans. When he was around, whether he's Joseph, Mariachi Joe, or giving Carlos Correa the best pouty face ever, you can bet there was never a dull moment.
So when the team decided to decline his 2022 option and instead buy him out, Dodger fans were admittedly a bit shocked. What they may not have understood was that the move wasn't about "getting rid of him". Instead, it has always been about saving money so that the organization may spend in free agency after so many key players are likely to depart. In fact, Andrew Friedman, the team's President of Baseball Operations, spoke about bringing him back.
“Joe is one of a kind. I love what he brings to a clubhouse. Awesome competitor. He’s another guy that we’ll very much be in the mix for. He and [his wife] Ashley get to go through and figure out what makes sense for them. We have a lot of balls in the air with really talented players that are free agents.”
The hard-throwing right-hander finished the 2021 season with a 2-0 record, a 2.86 ERA, and 50 strikeouts in 44 innings pitched and unfortunately ended his postseason early with a bicep tear in game 5 of the 2021 NLCS. At first, it was thought that the injury would mean that he wouldn’t be ready for the start of the 2022 season. But, Kelly's wife Ashley quickly squashed such rumors.
Bottom line is that the Dodgers would love to see him back in home whites to help solidify the bullpen, especially if Kenley Jansen ends up deciding to leave. But ultimately, it will be up to Joe to decide whether he stays or not.
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