Jul 8, 2021; Miami, Florida, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Garrett Cleavinger (61) delivers a pitch in the 9th inning against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot park. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
LOS ANGELES — The rosters of the WBC were finalized and announced today, and in case you missed it, there’s a former Dodger on the bullpen list that fans might recognize. Lefty Garrett Cleavinger, most recently of the Tampa Bay Rays will be joining the other high powered names on skipper Mark DeRosa‘s roster.
Dodger fans will recall that Cleavinger had a brief, but decent, tenure in Dodger blue. He was acquired from the Phillies in late 2020 as part of a three-team deal that included Cleavinger’s current team the Rays. It cost the Dodgers minor league first baseman Dillon Paulson and a player to be named later at the time. Cleavinger then joined the big league club in 2021 and threw 22 innings for a team that won 106 games. His 3.00 ERA was solid, but the next year Cleavinger was on the move again, this time to the Rays at the deadline in exchange for outfielder German Tapia.
It was with the Rays that Cleavinger really honed his stuff. In four seasons in Tampa Bay, Cleavinger has a 2.96 ERA and a solid 192 strikeouts in only 152 innings of work
Cleavinger will be joining a right-handed heavy Team USA bullpen. Righties David Bednar, Mason Miller, and Clay Holmes have all confirmed their status for the World Baseball Classic, leaving Cleavinger and Seattle’s Gabe Speier as the only left-handed relievers on the roster. Speaking of southpaws, there is, of course, a certain future Cooperstown resident on the roster, too, but it remains to be seen what Clayton Kershaw‘s role will be.
Stay tuned.
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