Josh Beckett has been traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers—a move back to the National League that will revitalize his career. 

Los Angeles Times Dodgers beat writer Dylan Hernandez reports:

 

For Beckett, this move signals a new phase in his career. It’s been a rough last few years for the once-dominant pitcher, but a new chapter gives him reason for hope.

From Bleacher Report’s Zachary Rymer:

 

There are two major reasons that moving to LA is going to help Beckett return to form. 

 

Dodger Stadium is a Pitcher’s Ballpark

There’s no doubt that Dodger Stadium is going to help Beckett’s cause.  While Fenway Park is the third most hitter-friendly park in MLB, Dodger Stadium ranks in a tie for 21st.

Aside from the fact that there’s no short porch in left field, the cool breeze from the Pacific Ocean routinely makes its way into the ballpark during late-afternoon and night games. This causes the opposite effect as hot air, and balls don’t travel as far.

Outfielders have more room to roam, too, and the combination of distance and the ocean breeze equals less runs scored. 

As Beckett starts to see that his pitches aren’t leaving the ballpark, he’s going to become more confident. Pitchers can get shell-shocked, and that’s what I’ve seen from Beckett the last few years. He lost a ton of confidence, causing his overall performance to suffer greatly. 

 

No Designated Hitters

Some of the best hitters in the American League come from the DH position. 

If we compared an average DH and an average pitcher at the plate, there would inevitably be a massive difference in talent. Most pitchers are lucky to drop down a nice sacrifice bunt on occasion, while most DH are RBI-producing machines. 

Beckett will have one less slugger to deal with on a nightly basis in the NL, and we’re going to see his ERA go down and his winning percentage go up as a result. 

I’m not saying that Beckett is going to turn into Cy Young here, but he is going to become a nice addition to the Dodgers’ pitching rotation. I fully expect him to win more games than he loses going forward, and I believe this trade may add a couple of years to his career. 

 

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