Justin Wilson joined the Los Angeles Dodgers in February on a Minor League contract with an outside shot to crack a bullpen void of lefties.
Wilson was with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2023, but suffered a left lat strain while warming up before his first appearance with the team. He had somewhat of an inflated Spring Training ERA this year but garnered praise from Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.
The 36-year-old most recently registered a scoreless appearance against the Cleveland Guardians on Monday.
However, Wilson has opted out of his contract with the Dodgers and now is a free agent.
Wilson officially has pitched 11 years in Major League Baseball, but counting last year, he’s been around the big league game for 12.
Wilson’s best run came in two seasons with the Cincinnati Reds from 2021-2022, when he carried a 2.75 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 2.75 FIP in 19.2 innings pitched. Unfortunately, Wilson’s 2022 season was cut short after going down with a left elbow injury.
Was Justin Wilson going to make Dodgers bullpen?
The Dodgers have a lot of options in their bullpen from a depth perspective, but they lack left-handed arms compared to previous seasons.
Wilson’s success with missing bats is an area the Dodgers and their pitching staff figured to hone in on, and see great value in retaining.
On the current roster, Alex Vesia is the only left-handed reliever. The Dodgers also have Ryan Yarbrough, but he is likely going to be filling a swingman role and make occasional starts.
The door appeared to possibly be open for Wilson to make the Dodgers bullpen, but his decision to opt out suggests that wasn’t necessarily going to take place in a timely manner.
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