The Los Angeles Angels recently made the decision to move on from RP Ryan Tepera, who officially hit free agency on Saturday, per the Angels PR on Twitter. Tepera was once considered one of the best relievers in baseball before struggling in 2023. There are a number of potential landing destinations for Tepera, but the Los Angeles Dodgers make the most sense for two primary reasons.

Let's take a look at why Ryan Tepera makes sense for the Dodgers.

Dodgers' bullpen woes

Surprisingly, the Dodgers' bullpen hasn't been great in 2023. Their 4.43 bullpen ERA is in the bottom half of the league, and LA's mixture of injuries and underperformance has been concerning. Evan Phillips, who owns a shiny 2.12 ERA, has been a bright spot. Brusdar Graterol, Shelby Miller, and Caleb Ferguson have been reliable as well. However, Yency Almonte and Phil Bickford have been inconsistent at best.

The Dodgers clearly need another bullpen arm or two. Their ability to get the most out of their pitchers would surely appeal to Ryan Tepera, and could lead to him bouncing back with the Dodgers.

Ryan Tepera's track record

Through 10 games in 2023, Ryan Tepera owns a 7.27 ERA. That number is far from ideal, but this is the same pitcher who posted a 3.61 ERA in 2022 with the Angels. Additionally, he owns a 3.59 career ERA.

He's pitched at the big league level since 2015, turning in quality seasons for the most part throughout his tenure in MLB. His track record combined with the Dodgers' coaching prowess could lead to him becoming not just a reliable option, but a star reliever. The Dodgers wouldn't need to dish out much money to sign him, and his potential production may become quite the bargain

Los Angeles could always decide to wait until the trade deadline to acquire relief help. After all, bullpen arms are always available on the trade market. But why wait when a possible star reliever is currently available in free agency?

Ryan Tepera, despite his struggles during the 2023 campaign, simply makes sense for the Dodgers. It will be interesting to see if LA inquires about him within the next week or two.