The Dodgers Secret Weapon! Dave Roberts Reveals Pitcher Who Could Fill Crucial Multi-Inning Reliever Role
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts may have revealed one of his bullpen cards.
Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reported that Roberts said Ben Casparius has a “good chance” to break camp with Los Angeles as a multi-inning reliever.
Los Angeles selected the 6-foot-2, 215-pounder in the fifth round of the 2021 MLB June Amateur Draft and made his big league debut last summer.
Casparius was excellent — albeit in a limited role — during the regular season. He went 2-0 with a 2.16 ERA over three appearances and 8 1/3 innings, tallying 12 strikeouts.
Then, he became a fixture late in the postseason.
The 26-year-old mostly saw mop-up duty in the 2024 NLCS but remained sharp, throwing 4 1/3 innings without allowing a run. He then opened Game 4 of the World Series, but his command was erratic, locating only 23 of 43 pitches for strikes.
Aside from that poor outing in a potential sweep game, Casparius’ performances were encouraging.
He throws a mid-to-high-90s fastball and loves incorporating a sweeping slider and a drooping curveball. Casparius and Landon Knack are two arms to watch for this summer.
“Things moved fast for [Casparius and Knack] last spring,” Roberts told The Athletic. “There’s just a lot more confidence that comes with success. Their teammates know them a lot more. They trust them more. So there’s no panic when you don’t have a great outing. You go back to work. Both those guys are going to play key roles for us.”
With a revamped rotation, Casparius will likely come out of the bullpen more times than not, but he still possesses starting capabilities. That versatility, coupled with his experience in big moments, will be useful for Roberts.
Knack is probably a Triple-A starter to begin 2025.
