Just before the start of spring training, the Los Angeles Dodgers brought in a new pitcher with a long, albeit spotty, major league track record.
The defending World Series champions have some of the most elite pitching depth in Major League Baseball, but that will never stop them from strengthening their strength. As spring training was set to begin this week in Arizona, Los Angeles had time to squeeze in one more minor-league signing on the mound.
According to the official transactions log, the Dodgers signed 33-year-old journeyman right-hander Jordan Weems to a minor-league deal that includes a non-roster invite to spring training.
Weems spent last season in the Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros organizations. After spending the first two months in Triple-A, the Braves released him on May 19, and he signed with the Astros on June 3. He appeared in four major league games for Houston, allowing seven earned runs in 4 1/3 innings.
In 144 games at the major league level, Weems owns a 5.51 ERA, but has 161 strikeouts in 160 innings. Before his brief Astros stint, he saw time with the Oakland Athletics, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Washington Nationals.
According to the Dodgers’ official website, Weems will be joined by 16 other non-roster invites on the pitching side, including fellow big-league veterans Wyatt Mills, Cole Irvin, and Ryder Ryan.
Weems could face long odds to crack the Dodgers’ major league roster, considering the amount of talent the team has stockpiled. That’s especially true considering more of the pitching staff is healthy going into the season than they were last year. He could also be valuable Triple-A depth if he doesn’t win one of the 13 spots on the opening day staff.
More MLB: Yankees’ Roster Crunch Puts Jasson DomÃnguez in Jeopardy: Insider