LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers designated veteran reliever Brian Wilson for assignment Tuesday to clear room on the 40-man roster for newly signed starting pitcher Brandon McCarthy.
The Dodgers' new front office has shown little hesitancy to absorb bad contracts, as the team will be on the hook for Wilson's $9.5 million as well as the $10 million owed to Dan Haren for next season. Haren was traded to the Miami Marlins as part of a three-team, eight-player deal last week at the winter meetings. The Dodgers also have agreed to a trade that would send outfielder Matt Kemp to the San Diego Padres along with $32 million of the remaining $107 million on Kemp's contract. That deal is pending a physical, which Kemp was to undergo Tuesday.
Wilson, a former World Series closer for the San Francisco Giants, was a key pickup for the Dodgers in August 2013, teaming with closer Kenley Jansen to give the Dodgers a strong late-innings combination, but he dealt with elbow discomfort early last season, saw his velocity decline and had a 4.66 ERA and career-high 1.614 WHIP. Wilson has undergone two elbow reconstruction surgeries.
"At this point, we did not feel he was one of the best seven relief options," Dodgers general manager Farhan Zaidi said on a conference call with reporters.
The Dodgers had the 12th-best bullpen ERA in the National League last year, but in the past few weeks they have largely reshaped their staff, adding Joel Peralta, Chris Hatcher and Juan Nicasio in separate transactions.