Yency Almonte's Former Colorado Teammate Told Him to Sign with LA

During the Andrew Friedman era, the Dodgers have developed the reputation of being able to turn struggling veteran pitchers into valuable arms. If there's any talent in the arm, the Dodgers find a way to maximize it. This year, is no different.

The Dodgers signed Yency Almonte to a minor league contract back in March. Almonte was fresh off of a rotten season where he recorded a 7.55 ERA and a 5.5 BB/9. This season though, Yency looks like an entire different pitcher.

So far this season, he's thrived in high-leverage situations. According to Baseball Reference, hitters have a .273 OBP against Yency in those situations. 

According to a recent article in The Athletic, Almonte has a former LA reliever to thank for his Dodgers productivity. 

“I recommend going out there. They know their stuff. They’re gonna teach you a lot of new things that you probably didn’t get in Colorado.” -Jake McGee

McGee and Almonte were teammates in Colorado in 2018 and 2019. Since they're both relievers, they probably spent countless hours in the bullpen talking about everything under the sun. McGee played one season in LA before joining the San Francisco Giants. Whatever the Dodgers taught McGee has translated to his continued success in San Francisco. He logged 31 saves last year.

Almonte doesn't have that level of success, but his new pitch mix has made him one of the better Dodgers relievers this year. Yency is throwing his fastball less and his slider more than ever.

Apparently, he owes the new pitch mix and Jake McGee for a resurgent season thus far.