10-18-00

Antonio Osuna’s newly reconstructed elbow prevented him from pitching in April.  Though his statistics were good in 2000, he was the weak link in the Dodger bullpen.  When the game was in the crucial moments, Osuna would let the opponent get a commanding lead.

Antonio Osuna, 27, has never reached his endless potential since he came to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1995. He has a high-90 miles-per-hour fastball and a good split-finger fastball that enable him to strike out many batters.  With his unhittable pitches he is an obvious choice for a closer. During his tenure with the Dodgers he has had the opportunity to close and failed. When the game has been tied or separated by less than three runs, Osuna has allowed hits and lost control. A requirement of a closer is having mental toughness, and Osuna does not appear to have it. He spent almost the entire 1999 season deciding whether to have elbow reconstructive surgery or not. When he finally decided, he found out the damage was not as bad as he feared.

Osuna had a satisfactory season in 2000. Even missing April, he appeared in 46 games and pitched 67.1 innings. He had three wins, six losses, no saves in three opportunities, a 3.74 ERA. Before the all-star break his ERA was 3.14, but after the break, his ERA was 4.36. He struck out 70 batters while he walked 35, hit two batters, and threw only one wild pitch.

Antonio Osuna is a talented reliever but seems to get nervous when the game is on the  line. The Dodgers have many good relievers, so they can trade Osuna for something they need.