6:37pm: The Dodgers also have minors deals with righties Jimmy Nelson and Brock Stewart and lefty James Pazos (along with the previously reported Carlos Asuaje), per Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times. They’re all invited to big league camp, according to Gurnick.
The oft-injured Nelson didn’t pitch at all last season after undergoing back surgery, and the Dodgers then declined his $2MM club option for 2021. Stewart was a 2014 Dodgers sixth-rounder who appeared in the majors with the team from 2016-19, but it lost him to the Blue Jays via waivers in the last of those seasons. He struggled in Toronto that year and hasn’t pitched in the majors since then. The 29-year-old Pazos was terrific with Seattle and Colorado from 2018-19, but the Rockies designated him for assignment after a disastrous 2020.
6:00pm: The Dodgers and right-handed reliever Brandon Morrow have agreed to a minor league contract, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN. He’ll be in big league camp as a non-roster invitee, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com tweets.
This will be the second Dodgers stint for Morrow, who resurrected his career during his previous run in Los Angeles. After dealing with a slew of injuries with a few different teams, Morrow joined the Dodgers on a minors pact heading into the 2017 season. It proved to be a brilliant decision by the Dodgers, as Morrow made his way to the majors and fired 43 2/3 innings of 2.06 ERA/1.55 FIP ball with 10.31 K/9 and 1.85 BB/9. His performance helped the team to a National League pennant.
After the Dodgers bowed out in the World Series to the Astros, Morrow left Los Angeles in favor of a two-year, $21MM contract with the Cubs during free agency. While Morrow did give the Cubs excellent production as their closer in the first season of the deal, back problems held him to 30 2/3 frames and prevented him from pitching beyond July 15, 2018.
The 36-year-old Morrow, unfortunately, still has not returned to a big league mound since then. He missed all of 2019 with elbow troubles and didn’t make it back to the Cubs last year after inking a minors deal.
Hopefully he will be the next Brandon Morrow.
Brandon Morrow is the next Brandon Morrow. It’s getting so even his own mother doesn’t recognize him.
2017 reunion tour! Exciting.
Hey, he still owes the Cubs that make good. On second thought, never mind.
Find you a girl who looks at you the way the Dodgers always look at Brandon Morrow.
Tbh if a girl had Brandon Morrow’s 2017 season I’d be making eyes at her too
It seems like it’s been a decade since he last pitched.
2.5 years since he’s thrown an actual pitch. I’m not knocking LAD since there’s no risk here at all, but the odds are he won’t make it out of the first month of ST.
Morrow can emerge as a solid bullpen piece. Surprised no one else took advantage.
He’s 36 and not healthy.
Missed 2019 with elbow issues, and you are surprised nobody signed him?
I like him, yet he is 36 and a spot reliever at best.
It’s a minor league deal. There is zero risk to this signing
Any team could have and probably should have banked on Morrow’s talent
Morrow probably got hurt signing this deal and will be out for next season.
No its the Dodgers. So he will perform well, sign 2 year contract somewhere and then get hurt.
Cubbies regaining the curse of the goat
Could be an amazing steal, could never pitch again in the MLB. Dodgers got the luxury to take gambles. Him or Knebel could be a sneaky addition.
Morrow will be great like 2017 and move on and get hurt on his next team in 2022
Correction: “After the Dodgers were CHEATED out of a title by the filthy cowardly punk *ss astros”
Correct sir. You beat my favorite team this year but you guys did it the right way and so I’m grateful for that
I was gonna say something along those lines but last time I questioned/corrected an article ppl grilled me. Especially that SN.
Umm, the Dodgers and Astros were accused of cheating during the 2018 playoffs. MLB did their investigations and found “nothing” on both teams that year. One year later, Astros get popped on the same accusations that were actually true because a disgruntled ex-Astros pitcher came forward. If Fiers really cared about the MLB, he should’ve made it a league wide issue instead solely focusing on the Astros cheating. All teams were cheating, get over yourself.
BTW, Bellinger could’ve lit up a power grid using wind with all the swing and misses at curveballs during that World Series.
ISU legend Brock Stewart!!
Pazos is the nugget here, don’t be surprised if this guy re-finds it quick- Great get
I do think he’s a potentially sneaky good signing. He had one amazing year and another decent one before really falling off the rails afterwards. The only issue is that he’s never really been used against RH-hitters and now with the 3-batter minimum rule he’d have to figure out a way to get them out. I do still think if he can find his way back to his prime form… he could wind up being a really solid signing for the Dodgers though. In fact all 4 pitchers they signed have the potential to be really solid ML options for them next season. Of course each of them comes with really big “If’s” attached but as far as “low risk” minor league signings go… all 4 of these guys have ‘game changing’ ability and obviously don’t really cost them anything if they don’t work out. Solid signings for the Dodgers. Asuaje on the other hand… not really sure he provides much of anything. Nothing against the guy but he really doesn’t have much power, and his contact skills/OB-skills fell of a cliff in 2019 too. I suppose he’s a solid enough depth option… but if you’re a Dodgers fan I think you’re hoping he really doesn’t see the field much in 2021 or else something else has gone terrible wrong.
!!!!! and a Brock Stewart reunion !!!!!
Ton of upside with these signings.
Even Brock Stewart?
I hear Oklahoma City is nice in the summer
How you gonna keep them down on the farm once they’ve seen OKC?
All the Dodgers ever wanted was their ring back.
Jimmy Nelson was pretty decent once upon a time, until his arm fell off.
It’s interesting that lots of people like to complain about the dodgers saying they buy their wins and junk like that. It’s true the dodgers spend a lot of money, but a big reason they win is because they deftly land guys like that their coaches and analytics are able to help rebound. I have zero idea if Morrow, Nelson, Stewart, or Paros will pan out, but looking at the dodgers recent history, I wouldn’t be surprised if 1 or 2 end up contributing this year.
I agree. This is why I jump on people who claim LA just buys their success. Their success is due to a fantastic scouting department, paired with coaching+rehab that is top notch. Any team *could* have the same attractions
And any minor league FA is essentially risk free
There’s a ton of under the radar moves Friedman has made that turned into big contributors. JT+Muncy are the biggest, but Chris Taylor was acquired for a guy about to be DFA’d. Morrow was one of LA’s best relievers thru the WS. And then they draft really well, even at 25th and later.
All comes back to scouting. Who to sign as MILB FA, who to trade for, who to draft, etc
Turner was signed by Ned Colletti. Minor league contract. 2014.
Yep. Guess I was thinking ownership. forgot Ned held on that long
Papa Paz making a comeback
New ownership is really spending the crazy money! lol mets!
We don’t have to spend big, as we are the 2020 World Champions!
Wow, this is quite the haul for the Dodgers! You know that at least one of Nelson, Pazos or Morrow will have a great come back season and make Friedman look brilliant once again (probably because he is). Their Knebel trade was a great deal too. This is really how the Dodgers continue to be the best run organization is baseball and one of the best overall teams too. They draft & develop talent as good as any other team, they make shrewd trades, they pay the right stars to remain in Dodgers blue and then they unearth a couple of recently unproductive veterans who turn out to be excellent contributors to their team. This is how they got JT and Max Muncy too. The machine continues to run in LA; they are going to be tough to beat again in 2021 & beyond.
I love our front office. That is all
Healthy amount of good minor league deals right there with players with a good history. Rich get richer…
Dodgers cheated with trash cans to. it was obvious. LETS GO STROS……….jk
these kind of signings use to frustrate me. now i smile.