Do you realize that Billy Koch was the last pitcher to lead the Toronto Blue Jays in saves in back-to-back seasons? That was all the way back during the 2000 and 2001 seasons.
Since then, the Blue Jays have had a different pitcher lead the team in saves each year. That’s nine years and eight different closers. Only B.J. Ryan lead the team in saves twice during that stretch.
And with last year’s closer, Kevin Gregg, departing via free agency, the Blue Jays will have their ninth closer in 10 years.
That ninth closer will be Octavio Dotel. The Blue Jays signed Dotel last week to a one-year, $3.5 million contract with a club option for 2012. The club option is worth $3.75 million or they can buyout Dotel for $750,000, according to Enrique Rojas.
Dotel has been well traveled throughout his 12-year career. He has played on 10 teams during that span and last year, he played on three different teams. Dotel pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Colorado Rockies last season and had a 4.08 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 10.5 K’s/9, and 4.5 BB’s/9 in 64 total innings.
Dotel is far removed from the guy who used to throw in the mid-to-upper-90s with the Houston Astros. He can still strike guys out, but his velocity on his fastball dropped to 91.7 mph, which was the lowest of his career and he is more a Maalox Moment for a manager than anything else these days.
Dotel is the type of closer these days that will walk two, strike out one, give up an infield single, but yet will somehow find a way to get out of the inning. And if he comes into the game with a three-run lead, he is sure to give up two and make it interesting.
He is like John Franco at the end of his career or Fernando Rodney now.
He will certainly get his opportunities in Toronto to close games. The Blue Jays won 85 games last year and are expected to be just as good in 2011.
My guess is Dotel will finish the year with 30 to 35 saves and an ERA around 4.15.
You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg
Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com