Check out these 2010 splits from Dotel:
right-handed batters: .166/.245/.331
left-handed batters: .301/.412/.581
You don't really hear of many right-handed specialists, as right-handed batters aren't generally as vulnerable to right-handed pitchers as left-handed batters are to left-handed pitchers, but Dotel certainly fills the bill. If John Farrell is careful to primarily use Dotel against righties and not put him in a full closer role, the Jays would benefit greatly and while given his restrictions he probably wouldn't reach 60 innings, $3 million really isn't too much anymore. David Purcey could be his closer platoon partner, facing mostly left-handed batters in the later innings.
Chad Cordero's signing has certainly had less fanfare than Dotel's, partly because it was only a minor league contract, but I believe he has a significant chance to make the big league club out of Spring Training or at least be a mid-season call-up. It seems so long ago that Cordero was a productive closer, heck, he even pitched two seasons in Montreal and made his big-league debut in 2003, while 2007 was his latest full season in the bigs.
Yet he's only 28. And after dealing with injury and ineffectiveness... he had a solid year in 2010 pitching for the Mariners and Mets AAA affiliates (9.1 K/9, 2.3 BB/9, 3.03 ERA in 35.2 IP).
Plus, it's only a minor league deal, there's really no risk in it at all, so it's hard to not like it.
Thus, I continue to support Alex Anthopolous's master plan to bring the World Series back to Toronto (although I would prefer if he made a bigger splash this offseason, if only to keep the casual fans coming to the ballpark), both of these signings should be heralded.
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