Best Dodgers Setup Men in Franchise History
When fans reminisce about dominant Los Angeles Dodgers bullpens, closers like Kenley Jansen, Éric Gagné, and Todd Worrell usually monopolize the conversation. But the real gatekeepers of victory have often been the pitchers working the high-leverage seventh and eighth innings. Identifying the best dodgers setup men in franchise history requires looking beyond raw save counts and focusing on situational leverage, strand rates, and the ability to hand a clean lead to the ninth inning.
From the workhorse firemen of Chavez Ravine's earlier eras to modern wipeout specialists who neutralize the heart of an opposing order, the Dodgers have routinely developed and deployed elite bridges to the finish line. Here is a definitive look at the arms who mastered the hardest non-closing assignment in baseball.
Guillermo Mota: The Unsung Foundation of Gagné's Streak
It is virtually impossible to talk about Éric Gagné's legendary 84-consecutive-save streak without highlighting Guillermo Mota. Acquired from the Montreal Expos as an infielder-turned-pitcher, Mota evolved into one of the most electric setup weapons in the sport between 2002 and 2004.
Mota possessed an upper-90s fastball with heavy sinking life and a devastating changeup that completely handcuffed left-handed hitters. In 2002, Mota posted a 1.44 ERA over 43 relief appearances. He followed that up with a monstrous 2003 campaign, throwing 105 innings out of the bullpen with a 1.97 ERA and 99 strikeouts. Whenever manager Jim Tracy needed six outs or a clean eighth inning to set up Gagné's 'Game Over' entrance, Mota answered the bell. Without Mota consistently snuffing out rallies in the seventh and eighth, Gagné’s historic run wouldn't have reached 84 straight games, cementing Mota firmly among the best dodgers setup men in franchise history.
Hong-Chih Kuo: Peak Dominance and Historic Run Prevention
Few relievers in club history had purer stuff than Taiwanese left-hander Hong-Chih Kuo. Despite undergoing four elbow surgeries over his career, Kuo put together a three-year stretch from 2008 to 2010 where he was virtually unhittable as Jonathan Broxton's primary setup bridge.
Kuo's signature year came in 2010, which remains one of the greatest single seasons by any reliever in MLB history. Serving primarily in the setup role, Kuo posted a microscopic 1.20 ERA across 60 innings, logging 73 strikeouts and holding opposing hitters to a microscopic .139 batting average. His mid-90s four-seamer featured rising action, complemented by a wipeout sweeping slider that left lefties flailing. While injuries eventually shortened his time at the top, Kuo's peak performance ranks him among the absolute best dodgers setup men in franchise history.
Mike Marshall: The Iron-Man Fireman Who Won a Cy Young
Before the modern setup role became strictly defined as an eighth-inning hold specialist, relievers served as 'firemen' summoned to extinguish fires in the sixth, seventh, or eighth innings before finishing out games. Nobody executed that high-leverage bridge better than Mike Marshall in 1974.
That season, Marshall authored a workload that will never be replicated: 106 appearances, 208.1 innings—all out of the bullpen—along with 15 wins and 21 saves. Marshall won the National League Cy Young Award by regularly entering games in tied or tight eighth-inning jams, stranding inherited runners, and shutting down opponents long before the concept of a modern setup man existed. If you value durability and performance in high-stress setup scenarios, Marshall sets an untouchable standard in franchise lore.
Pedro Báez and Joe Beimel: Dependability Across Eras
Setup success is not solely about electric velocity; it often comes down to health, consistency, and matchup mastery. Two arms that carried immense regular-season burdens in the setup role are Pedro Báez and Joe Beimel.
Báez spent seven seasons (2014–2020) in Los Angeles, frequently serving as the direct bridge to Kenley Jansen. Despite testing fans' patience with his deliberate pace on the mound, 'The Petey' was remarkably reliable. Over 355 games with the Dodgers, Báez compiled a 3.03 ERA, racking up over 100 holds and proving to be an indispensable arm during the Dodgers' run of NL West titles.
Going back to the mid-2000s, left-handed specialist Joe Beimel carved out a beloved legacy as a matchup setup man. Most famously remembered for frustrating Barry Bonds—limiting the home run king to just one hit in 19 plate appearances—Beimel was a fixture in late-inning strategy. He gave managers Grady Little and Joe Torre the perfect situational weapon to neutralize big bats before the closer took over.
Blake Treinen: The Modern High-Leverage Monster
In today’s bullpen architecture, traditional roles have blurred, but Blake Treinen re-established the standard for eighth-inning stoppers. Arriving in Los Angeles ahead of the 2020 season, Treinen brought a turbo-sinker touching 98-100 mph combined with a horizontal sweeper that defies physics.
During the Dodgers' 2020 World Series championship run, Treinen served as manager Dave Roberts’ Swiss Army knife, repeatedly facing the most dangerous pocket of an opposing lineup in the eighth inning. He carried that form forward into the 2021 campaign with a 1.99 ERA and 32 holds, and returned from serious shoulder surgery to again serve as the primary setup weapon during the 2024 championship postseason. Treinen’s willingness to attack elite hitters in high-stress bridges solidifies his place when evaluating the best dodgers setup men in franchise history.
Frequently asked questions
What stats are most important when evaluating a setup man?
Unlike closers who are judged by saves, setup men are best evaluated by holds, inherited runners stranded percentage (IS%), strikeout-to-walk ratio (K/BB), and Win Probability Added (WPA) in high-leverage situations.
Who holds the single-season record for holds in Dodgers history?
Tony Cingrani and Blake Treinen have turned in prolific hold totals, but Joel Peralta and Pedro Báez frequently topped the leaderboard during the 2010s. Treinen logged 32 holds in 2021, one of the highest marks in recent Los Angeles history.
Did Éric Gagné ever pitch as a setup man before becoming a closer?
Gagné began his Major League career as a starting pitcher before transitioning to the bullpen in 2002. Rather than lingering in a setup role, he quickly took over closing duties early that season after Jeff Shaw retired and Matt Herges struggled, leaving Guillermo Mota to take over the primary eighth-inning setup job.
Why is the eighth-inning setup role considered so difficult?
Managers often deploy their setup man against the middle of the order (hitters 3-4-5) in the eighth inning to ensure their best non-closing reliever faces the opponent's greatest offensive threats, frequently with runners already on base.