Dodgers add former All-Star RHP Reyes

LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers are no strangers to low-risk, high-reward deals, and they struck again on Thursday as the club agreed to a one-year contract with former All-Star closer Alex Reyes. Terms of the deal were not announced, but a source told MLB.com that it's for $1.1 million.

Reyes’ deal with the Dodgers includes a club option for the 2024 season that is worth $3 million, but the total could ultimately be up to $10 million if the right-hander reaches a number of salary escalators and performance bonuses, which include relief appearances the next two seasons and days on the active roster, a source told MLB.com.

The signing gives the Dodgers another strong bullpen option for potentially two seasons -- and it gives the 28-year-old some insurance as he continues to work his way back onto the field.

Reyes established himself as one of the best relievers in the National League in the first half of the 2021 season with the Cardinals, earning his first All-Star appearance. But as right shoulder pain lingered, his production took a dip, which resulted in him losing the closer's job.

In 2022, as Reyes worked his way back from injury, an MRI revealed a frayed labrum in his right shoulder, an injury that required a stem-cell injection. The news automatically ended his season.

As Reyes recovers, he is expected to miss at least a couple of months in 2023, but the Dodgers are hopeful he’ll be a big piece of their bullpen toward the end of the season. Los Angeles, along with the Blue Jays and Marlins, watched Reyes throw over the past few weeks, and the medical reports all checked out.

Signing an injured reliever is something the Dodgers have grown accustomed to doing. In 2021, they signed Tommy Kahnle to a two-year deal as he recovered from Tommy John surgery. They traded for J.P. Feyereisen this offseason, with the hope that he contributes later this season or in 2024. President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman also gave Blake Treinen an $8 million deal with a $1 million club option for 2024, which will surely be picked up if the right-hander recovers as expected.

The Dodgers have also had some failed experiments, such as signing Danny Duffy to a one-year deal in 2022. Duffy, who signed a Minor League deal with the Rangers this offseason, never made an appearance for Los Angeles.

With Reyes, the Dodgers believe he is worth the gamble. If he bounces back, he can be a back-end arm for Los Angeles. In 2021, Reyes was in the 91st percentile in fastball velocity and in the 95th percentile in Whiff percentage, a good indicator of how well his stuff plays.

Reyes is 16-11 with a 2.86 ERA and 31 saves in 101 games over five Major League seasons.