It appears watching Joe Kelly mow them down in the World Series convinced the Los Angeles Dodgers to go the extra mile to sign the right-handed fireballer in free agency.
Kelly agreed to a three-year, $25 million contract with the Dodgers late Wednesday night, according to multiple reports.
The Boston Red Sox had shown interest in bringing back the 30-year old, who reportedly generated looks from nearly half of the league, but weren’t willing to match the offer from Kelly’s hometown team, according to WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford.
“According to a major league source, Los Angeles outbid the Red Sox by a significant margin, with Boston never willing to go past two years for the 30-year-old reliever,” Bradford wrote. “The Dodgers deal ultimately landed at three years, $25 million. The annual average value of the two years proposed by the Sox also isn’t believed to reach the level of Los Angeles’ commitment.”
Bradford also reported that the Dodgers were the only team to offer a three-year deal to Kelly, who grew up just a few miles away from Dodgers Stadium.
Kelly was inconsistent at best for the Red Sox in 2018, finishing with a 4.39 ERA in 73 appearances, striking out 68 in 73 innings and was a question mark to even make the Red Sox’s postseason roster after posting an 8.31 ERA in 12 regular season appearances in September and October.
In the playoffs, however, Kelly was lights out, allowing just one earned run in nine games and striking out 13 in 11 1/3 innings of work. In the World Series, he fanned 10 Dodgers in six shutout innings.
LA made Kelly a top target from there, with team president Andrew Friedman meeting with Kelly for three hours last Friday, according to Bradford, and leaving Kelly “impressed with how Los Angeles viewed the pitcher’s evolution, future and predicted role.”
With one of their top relief targets, whom many Red Sox lobbied for the team to re-sign, off the board, and with closer Craig Kimbrel seeking a hefty deal in free agency as well, the Red Sox could be left to wait out the market to find bullpen help for next season.
