This offseason has been a slow one as far as movement on the free-agent market, and the Los Angeles Dodgers are among the teams that have not made much noise. Their only signing of a player to a Major League contract was inking Tom Koehler to a one-year deal.
While the Dodgers haven’t been that active in terms of Major League free agents, they have made a flurry of Minor League acquisitions, particularly to bolster their pitching depth.
Among them are a once-promising prospect in left-hander Henry Owens, who was claimed off waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks, Dylan Baker, who was acquired in a trade with the Cleveland Indians and Zach Neal, who was signed to a Minor League deal, among others.
Under-the-radar signings and acquisitions within the pitching staff have worked out well for the Dodgers the past couple offseasons, as both Joe Blanton and Brandon Morrow developed into Kenley Jansen’s primary setup men in 2016 and 2017, respectively.
It appears they are trying to find another diamond in the rough, as former Houston Astros draft pick Andrew Robinson took to Twitter to announce he has signed a contract with the Dodgers:
Excited to announce I’ve officially signed with the @Dodgers for 2018!!
I’m excited for the new opportunity! #Dodgers #baseball pic.twitter.com/LaAMTlAPCD— Andrew Robinson (@ARob2627) January 21, 2018
Robinson was a 12th-round pick by the Astros out of Georgia Tech in 2010. In eight Minor League seasons, he has gone 38-29 with a 3.88 ERA and 1.25 WHIP in 309 games (29 starts).
He spent the 2017 season with Double-A Harrisburg in the Washington Nationals organization, appearing in 38 games and yielding a 3.69 ERA and 1.08 WHIP while striking out 47 and walking 13 in 39 innings of work.
The soon-to-be 30-year-old has never appeared in a Major League game, so he likely won’t be counted on to make an impact at that level this season, but he provides organizational pitching depth that is valued so much by the Dodgers.
