AJ Pollock

After the World Series champion Braves landed former Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen last week, a huge hole was left in Los Angeles' bullpen.

Now he should slot in alongside Eloy Jimenez in left and Luis Robert in center. In 117 games last season, Pollock, who played center and left field, hit .281 with 21 home runs and 69 RBIs. The hard-throwing Kimbrel opened last season with the Cubs, where he notched 23 saves in 39 appearances. His acquisition should help the White Sox fill its void in right field. The 33-year-old righty struggled mightily with his control and in 24 games posted a 5.09 ERA with a 1.22 WHIP. He also went 2-2 with one save. In the American League Divisional Series against the Astros, Kimbrel made three appearances, giving up three runs on three hits, including two on a home run that blew open Game 2.

The blockbuster trade was first reported by Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. ESPN MLB Insider Jeff Passan reported the details of the deal, which will not include the ...

A free agent signing by the Cubs in 2019, Kimbrel turned in a resurgent season in 2021, recording a .059 ERA with 20 saves en route to earning his eighth career All-Star nod. The 2020 World Series champion and 2015 All-Star enjoyed one of his best seasons in 2021, posting a .297 batting average with 21 home runs and 69 RBIs in 384 at-bats. Prior to the move, Kimbrel, the NL’s top closer to begin the season, appeared in 39 games and recorded a .049 ERA with 23 saves in 36.2 innings pitched (2–3 W-L record). The veteran reliever struggled to produce in his 24 appearances for the White Sox, posting a 5.09 ERA with just one save in 23 IP. He was eventually traded to the White Sox 17 days after the All-Star game. Kimbrel, 33, will make $16 million in 2022 and is expected to slide into the closer’s role with the Dodgers, per Passan. Pollock, 34, is set to earn $10 million and has a $10 million player option that includes a $5 million buyout. Pollock, one of the Dodgers’ best hitters in recent seasons, figures to add a nice punch to the Sox lineup, and could immediately step in as a valuable contributor with Andrew Vaughn nursing a hip injury.

Last season, Kimbrel, now 33, was an All-Star with the Chicago Cubs, though he struggled with the White Sox after coming over at the trade deadline, making it ...

The Dodgers and White Sox both begin their regular seasons on April 8 rather than April 7. The White Sox have had an opening in right field really since 2020, though Adam Engel and Leury García filled in capably last year. Los Angeles could go out and sign Michael Conforto to replace Pollock, though Conforto is currently rehabbing a shoulder injury. The trade also opens a spot for Gavin Lux, who was pushed to the bench by the Freddie Freeman signing. With the Dodgers, he can move back into the closer's role, allowing manager Dave Roberts to use Blake Treinen as a fireman earlier in the game. The Dodgers had more everyday caliber position players than starting lineup spots, but needed to replace Kenley Jansen in the bullpen.

The Dodgers have acquired reliever Craig Kimbrel from the Chicago White Sox for outfielder AJ Pollock, a person with knowledge of the deal says.

Kimbrel had a bounce-back start to last season, earning an All-Star selection after beginning the year with 23 saves and a 0.49 ERA over his first 39 games. Pollock batted .297 with 21 home runs, 69 RBIs and an .892 on-base-plus-slugging percentage last year, but his contract made him one of the easier players to trade. Pollock will fill a need in Chicago’s outfield, while Kimbrel gets to return to his ninth-inning role. But upon signing with the Chicago Cubs midway through the 2019 season, after he waited for a bigger contract in free agency, Kimbrel regressed. Kimbrel, who turns 34 in May, has been one of baseball’s best closers for most of the last decade, with 372 saves and a 2.18 earned-run average during his 12-year career. Kimbrel is an eight-time All-Star who began his career starring for the Atlanta Braves from 2010 to 2014.

In a bold move that disrupts the chemistry of a 106-win team while limiting the flexibility of its bullpen, the Dodgers acquired Craig Kimbrel.

That's almost identical to Pollock, who in 2021 will finish a four-year, $55 million deal. Now, with the Dodgers moving on from longtime closer Kenley Jansen, the ninth inning once again figures to be Kimbrel's. He's entering the final year of a four-year, $58 million deal. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts had resisted naming a closer, noting only that reliever Blake Treinen likely remained their best option, albeit one better suited to record the game's most important outs regardless of inning.

White Sox receive: OF AJ Pollock. Dodgers grade: A-. Los Angeles has counted on Kenley Jansen to be its shutdown closer. Dating back to 2012, he had racked up ...

Instead, the White Sox use him to upgrade an obvious need. He split the season with the Cubs and White Sox after he was traded between Chicago towns during the middle of the season. The White Sox didn't need an extra reliever, but they did need a consistent outfielder to man right field. At this point, the Dodgers don't really need anything, but if they were looking to improve the roster, the bullpen was the place to start. The only reason this trade isn't a full A is because where it closes one hole, it opens another. This will be only the third different team for Pollock, who had spent the past three seasons with the Dodgers.

The Los Angeles Dodgers reportedly just acquired Craig Kimbrel from the Chicago White Sox for outfielder AJ Pollock.

However, the righty fell apart with the White Sox in a setup role, recording a 5.09 ERA in 23.0 innings and then struggling in the playoffs. Pollock enjoyed a stellar 2021 season for the Dodgers, slashing .297/.355/.536 and hitting 21 home runs while knocking in 69 runs. As for the White Sox, fans had been clamoring for them to get more help in the outfield, and specifically in right field.

Leaving Los Angeles could potentially be a boost to Pollock's playing time, as the Dodgers' depth allows them to rotate heavily, though that rotation may have ...

As the old baseball adage goes, you can never have too much pitching. On Friday, the Dodgers decided to sacrifice a plus-bat in order to add another quality ...

Evidently, the Dodgers preferred to sell high on Pollock and add another reliever who could also be part of LA's closer committee. Rumors had swirled that the Dodgers could be interested in moving Pollock, but the chatter was never tied to a specific potential trade partner. On Friday, the Dodgers decided to sacrifice a plus-bat in order to add another quality arm.

The Los Angeles Dodgers traded outfielder AJ Pollock to the Chicago White Sox for reliever Craig Kimbrel on Friday, the teams announced.

Kimbrel has 372 saves, a 2.18 ERA and 14.7 K/9 for his career. Pollock, 34, is more of a corner outfielder at this point of his career but can play center field on occasion. The deal was first reported by MLB Network.

Both teams are trading from an area of depth to address a weakness. The Dodgers had more everyday caliber position players than starting lineup spots, but ...

The Dodgers and White Sox both begin their regular seasons on April 8 rather than April 7. The White Sox have had an opening in right field really since 2020, though Adam Engel and Leury García filled in capably last year. Los Angeles could go out and sign Michael Conforto to replace Pollock, though Conforto is currently rehabbing a shoulder injury. The trade also opens a spot for Gavin Lux, who was pushed to the bench by the Freddie Freeman signing. With the Dodgers, he can move back into the closer's role, allowing manager Dave Roberts to use Blake Treinen as a fireman earlier in the game. The Dodgers had more everyday caliber position players than starting lineup spots, but needed to replace Kenley Jansen in the bullpen.

The White Sox addressed their need in right field by acquiring AJ Pollock from the Dodgers for Craig Kimbrel.

In fact, 806 of the 854 innings he played last season came in left. Pollock will make $10 million this season and has a $10 million option (or $5 million buyout) for 2023. A Kimbrel trade was anticipated all offseason, and Sox fans have been vocal on social media about their desire for the team to make an impactful right field addition. He’s a center fielder by trade and has limited experience in right (20 career innings, last appearance in 2013), but has a good track record defensively and has shown an ability to move around. No money was exchanged in the trade, according to multiple reports. Sox find new right fielder in trade for AJ Pollock originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

The Chicago White Sox made a major move Friday, sending reliever Craig Kimbrel to the Los Angeles Dodgers for outfielder AJ Pollock.

The White Sox addressed their need in right field by acquiring AJ Pollock from the Dodgers for Craig Kimbrel.

In fact, 806 of the 854 innings he played last season came in left. Pollock will make $10 million this season and has a $10 million option (or $5 million buyout) for 2023. "We all know what he's capable of doing defensively." "We are thrilled to add a player of AJ Pollock's caliber to this roster," Sox general manager Rick Hahn said. Pollock, a Gold Glove winner in center field in 2015, spent his most time in left field with the Dodgers the past two seasons. No money was exchanged in the trade, according to multiple reports.

In this week's SI Five-Tool Newsletter, we look at the Dodgers-White Sox trade of All-Stars, Cody Bellinger's struggles and Jacob deGrom's injury.

First off, I need to correct what I said was the answer in last week’s newsletter, for the question from two weeks ago. Less than two weeks later, during his first home stand at Busch Stadium, Pujols—then a third baseman—went 7-for-10 in a three-game series against the Astros. Standing across the diamond was Houston third baseman Charlie Hayes, who reached base twice in two pinch-hit opportunities for the series—including a single past Pujols to left field. In two stories this week, they outlined one important question for each of the 30 teams. Pujols spent his first 11 seasons with St. Louis. We’ll have more on Albert and the Cardinals next week. Pollock is a greater improvement for Chicago than Kimbrel is for L. A. And if Pollock can avoid the IL, that upgrade will be even more significant for the South Siders. He missed the second half of last season with right forearm tightness. Simply put, he was expendable in a trade so long as the return was worth it. Lefthander Aaron Bummer, who has one of the nastiest sliders in MLB, and Kendall Graveman, who signed with Chicago this offseason, will handle late-inning, high-leverage situations. He’s not going to let a case of the preseason whiffs get him down. So in true Dodgers fashion, they traded for Kimbrel, the best closer of the last decade. The NL has a DH now, but that’ll be Max Muncy’s position with the arrival of first baseman Freddie Freeman. But after their previous closer Kenley Jansen signed a one-year, $16 million deal with the Braves, the team for which he grew up rooting, Los Angeles did have an opening for a new ninth-inning man.

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired eight-time All-Star reliever Craig Kimbrel from the Chicago White Sox on Friday in exchange for outfielder AJ ...

.297 with 21 homers and 69 RBIs in 117 games. Kimbrel was 4-5 with 24 saves in a combined 63 games with the Chicago Cubs and White Sox last season. TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox.

The Chicago White Sox have traded reliever Craig Kimbrel for an outfielder to bolster their lineup.

In 24 games with the White Sox, Kimbrel had a 5.09 ERA and allowed 13 earned runs. Pollock will bolster the White Sox line up and fill a hole in right field. And the White Sox would lose to the Houston Astros in the American League Divisional Series.

Pollock played for the Arizona Diamondbacks, who drafted him with the #17 overall pick in the 2009 MLB draft, between 2012 and 2018. His most successful year ...

Overall, I love this trade for the White Sox. Pollock is better than any position player the team has acquired since Yasmani Grandal, and he probably will hit in the bottom-third of the lineup when it is healthy, which speaks to the team’s depth. That said, he has fixed similar command issues in the past, and it would not surprise me at all to see him turn in a typical Craig Kimbrel season as the Dodgers’ closer. While it might be a little too much to expect that trend to continue, I do feel confident in his late-career power surge continuing in Chicago. Between the largely unnoticed increase in power over the last couple years and Pollock’s early-career excellence on typically underwhelming Diamondbacks teams, I think many White Sox fans will be surprised by Pollock’s skills. He hits the ball hard and, unlike most White Sox hitters, excels at hitting the ball in the air. After signing with the absurdly talented Dodgers prior to the 2019 season, the former Diamondbacks standout became one of the least impactful position players on his team, not due to his own skill, but rather to the Dodgers’ famous depth (which is also the very reason he was available via trade). Thus, Pollock’s .297/.355/.536 line in 2021 was impressive, but perhaps not as appreciated throughout the league as it would have been on any other team. AJ Pollock comes to a Chicago team that often gets overlooked toward the end of a career that itself has not gotten its due in terms of his steady above-average play.

The Dodgers have acquired closer Craig Kimbrel in a trade with the White Sox. Outfielder AJ Pollock is headed to Chicago in the one-for-one trade.

In a non-closing role with the White Sox, however, Kimbrel's ERA ballooned to 5.09 in 24 regular-season appearances. In a separate move, the White Sox agreed to terms on a one-year, $7.45 million contract with right-hander Lucas Giolito, avoiding arbitration. The White Sox had been looking to trade Kimbrel ever since exercising their $16 million option on him for 2022, given that Liam Hendriks is entrenched as their closer. But the Kimbrel trade came on the same day that one of their best relievers, lefty Garrett Crochet, learned he'll likely require season-ending elbow surgery. Ahead of Kimbrel, the Dodgers can deploy Treinen, Brusdar Graterol, Daniel Hudson, Alex Vesia and Victor Gonzalez, with the likes of Tommy Kahnle, Phil Bickford and Dustin May slated to become available at various points throughout the season. Kimbrel, meanwhile, would slot in as the closer, allowing Dodgers manager Dave Roberts to be more flexible with his usage of Blake Treinen.

Those counting on him to be the everyday, every-month right fielder might be crushed by an ill-timed hamstring strain, pulled groin, back tweak, broken thumb or ...

He’ll be in the mix, and maybe he can earn more than Tony La Russa intends to mete out, but he’ll have a welcome margin for error. For one, if he has to start the season on the injured list, he’ll be afforded time for a proper rehab stint. Now the Sox get such a development as a bonus, rather than a necessity to the success of multiple bat-first positions. Instead, it’s as though the White Sox vowed to learn from their near-death experience and be a better ballclub from this point forward. Had he signed for one year and $8 million at the end of January, the White Sox could say that they couldn’t have used the money any better that late in the winter. That’s a pretty good place to be, especially since they were on the wrong end of this game last winter.

The Dodgers sent Pollock to the White Sox for Kimbrel on Friday.

Kimbrel, the former Red Sox closer, will get a chance to close for the Dodgers. He’s owed $16 million in 2022. He has a player option for 2023; the value on that is contingent on how many plate appearances he reaches in 2023. Boston’s reported pursuit of Pollock shows that, despite Cora’s declaration that he believes all 28 members of the club’s Opening Day roster are already in camp, chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom continues to look at potential upgrades.