Dodgers Acquire Reliever Zach Penrod from the Red Sox

Dodgers Acquire Reliever Zach Penrod in Trade with Red Sox

Another Diamond In the Rough?

It is no secret that Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman likes bargain bullpen pieces, and Penrod may have potential. The left-handed Penrod has a 2.25 ERA in just seven big league appearances. He was originally signed by the Texas Rangers as an undrafted free agent back in 2018. He never caught and spent some time toiling in the Independent Pioneer League before catching the Red Sox’s eye.

Oh the Elbow

The 28-year-old was fighting for one of the last bullpen spots in spring training with Boston. However, an elbow injury cost him a chance at the roster. Control is an issue for Penrod, but one wonders if a compromised elbow had something to do with the lack of command. On the comeback trail in the minors, the left-hander has seven walks and thrown three wild pitches in limited time. However, Penrod has also struck out 25% of the batters he has faced. He has an impressive repertoire of pitches, including a 95 mph fastball, which has the ability to miss bats. As an added bonus, he also has three years of minor league options remaining.

The Dodgers already have 12 pitchers on the IL and use a lot of arms through the course of a season, so it would be no surprise if Zach Penrod is on a taxi squad soon.

One Final Note

Roki Sasaki will be eligible to be activated from the IL in July. However, if and when that will happen, one thing is for sure. The Dodgers can never have enough pitching.