Welcome to the Blue, Casey Fien!

The Dodgers made a move over the weekend to bolster a relief staff that has been lees than good.  They claimed right-hander Casey Fien off the waiver wire on Saturday from the Minnesota Twins.  Per Cary Osborne at Dodger Insider:

Between 2013 and 2015, Fien had the sixth-best strikeout-to-walk ratio among relievers in the Majors at 5.5. His 3.9 percent walk rate in that span was fifth.

He had a 3.55 ERA/1.09 WHIP in 62 games for the Twins last year. However, the home-run ball hurt him this year with the Twins. He surrendered five in 13 2/3 innings and had a 7.90 ERA/1.76 WHIP in 14 appearances.

Charlie Wilmoth at MLB Trade Rumors writes more about him:

Fien allowed 12 runs and five homers in 13 2/3 innings with the Twins this season. He had been significantly more effective in the previous several seasons, however (even as his strikeout rate has progressively declined), and last year he posted a 3.55 ERA with 5.8 K/9 and an excellent 1.1 BB/9 over 63 1/3 frames. He also hasn’t shown a significant loss of velocity in 2016 as compared to last season. Fien clearly seems able to throw strikes, but that tendency might sometimes get him into trouble, as he’s an extreme fly-ball pitcher.

No doubt, he's had a rough go at it this year.  So, you have to wonder how he can help the Dodgers today.  On a positive note, maybe the Dodger believe he's just been extremely unlucky this year; as evidenced by his historically good strike out to walk ratio.  I think the bet might be that an change of scenery will do him and us some good.  BTW, Justin Turner knows Fien well, via a tweet by JP Hoornstra:

Dodger w/most PAs vs. Casey Fien? Justin Turner, in college. "Known him for a long time. He competes. ... That's good news. I'm excited."

— J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) May 7, 2016

To make room for him on the 40-man roster, Hyun-Jin Ryu was placed on the 60-day DL; meaning the earliest he can return is May 24th.  Fien is expected to join the Dodgers in Los Angeles today, so a corresponding move on the 24-man roster still needs to be announced. UPDATE:  Strike that.  Fien isn't coming to Los Angeles.  Instead, he'll be sent to AAA-Oklahoma City.

In celebration of his signing I made the above fantasy card of him.  The photograph is from Bruce Kluckhohn at USA Today/Twins Daily article and I used the 1989 Upper Deck Baseball card design. 

Below are his career statistics, via Baseball-Reference:

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