L.A. Dodgers Sign Veteran Pitcher To Contract For 2017 MLB Season

L.A. Dodgers rumors reveal that the team has agreed to a Minor League contract with veteran pitcher Brandon Morrow. This deal will include a Spring Training invite, giving Morrow a shot at making the 25-man roster as a reliever. A report by MLB analyst Jeff Passon confirms that the deal is taking place, giving him a good shot to make the roster if he can just remain healthy.

Another report on the deal comes from Andy McCullough at the Los Angeles Times. He states that Morrow will make a salary of $1.25 million for the 2017 MLB season if he makes the 25-man roster. It’s a non-guaranteed deal, though, so Morrow could end up getting released before Opening Day if he doesn’t perform well during Spring Training. That would give him another chance to catch on with a team for the regular season.

Due to injuries that took place during the 2016 MLB season, Brandon Morrow ended up pitching only 16 innings for the San Diego Padres. His stats included a 1.69 ERA and 1.385 WHIP over 18 relief appearances. Morrow was also limited during the 2015 MLB season when he pitched 33 innings in five starts for the Padres. He posted a 2-0 record, 2.73 ERA, and 1.091 WHIP for the year.

During his 10-year career in Major League Baseball, Brandon Morrow has spent time with the Seattle Mariners, Toronto Blue Jays, and San Diego Padres. Seattle used him primarily as a reliever, but then Toronto placed him in the starting rotation. He returned to the bullpen with San Diego, but only pitched 49 innings over two seasons.

In 784 and two-thirds innings of work in his career, Morrow has a 45-43 record, 16 saves, a 4.16 ERA, and a 1.346 WHIP. As just a reliever, Morrow has appeared in 141 games, pitching 140 and one-third innings. In those games, he has a 3.46 ERA, a 1.447 WHIP, and averages 9.3 strikeouts per nine innings.

All Los Angeles Dodgers rumors indicate that Brandon Morrow will get his shot out of the bullpen, with two possible slots open as Spring Training begins. This signing is seen as a no-risk situation for the Dodgers, as Morrow won’t receive a salary from the team unless he makes the 25-man roster. The 32-year-old right-handed pitcher could decide to accept a new deal if he doesn’t make the Opening Day roster for the Dodgers.

While this isn’t a signing that will make front page news for many Dodgers fans, it shows that the team and general manager Farhan Zaidi is still trying to add pieces to keep pace with the San Francisco Giants in the National League West. Additional roster moves for the Dodgers this offseason include trading Howie Kendrick to the Philadelphia Phillies for Darin Ruf and Darnell Sweeney, signing starting pitcher Rich Hill to a contract, and trading Jose De Leon to the Tampa Bay Rays for second baseman Logan Forsythe.

The Spring Training schedule for the Dodgers begins with a game against the Chicago White Sox on February 25. Pitchers and catchers for the Dodgers report for the Grapefruit League on February 15, followed by the position players reporting on February 20. Several players within the Dodgers’ organization will be taking part in the World Baseball Classic, taking some time away from the team to represent countries around the globe.

Opening Day for the Dodgers is on Monday, April 3, when the team hosts the San Diego Padres at 1:10 p.m. PT. It is a four-game series between the two teams, with the Dodgers then traveling to play the Colorado Rockies beginning on Friday, April 7. The Dodgers will start the season with eight straight games before the first day off in the schedule. That will make it important for the team to have a strong bullpen, with these latest L.A. Dodgers rumors indicating the front office is taking the first week of the schedule very seriously.

[Featured Image by Richard Vogel/AP Images]