The Los Angeles Dodgers bolstered their organizational bullpen depth on Monday with the signing of veteran reliever Daniel Hudson to a Minor League contract.
Hudson, most recently of the Tampa Bay Rays, was released prior to the start of the regular season after struggling for much of Cactus League play. He’s most known for his tenure with the Arizona Diamondbacks, which spanned six seasons (2010-16).
The 31-year-old was sent to extended Spring Training, where he’ll continue building up for a possible promotion later down the road.
According to Chris Cotillo of SB Nation, Hudson will earn the Major League minimum if called up to the Dodgers, and his Minor League contract additionally includes multiple opt-out clauses in April:
Daniel Hudson is earning $5.5M from TB and PIT this year so he’ll get major-league minimum in majors with Dodgers. New deal will earn him $25k per month in the minors and includes multiple opt-outs in April, per source.
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) April 3, 2018
Hudson fits the mold of recent bullpen signings by Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and general manager Farhan Zaidi. The club signed Brandon Morrow to a similar contract last season, and promoted him from Triple-A Oklahoma City ahead of an opt-out date.
With Yimi Garcia working his way back from Tommy John surgery and Tom Koehler sidelined by an anterior capsule strain in his throwing shoulder, Hudson serves as an intriguing right-handed option that can potentially make an impact later in the season.
In eight seasons, Hudson owns a career 3.98 ERA, 3.67 FIP and 1.27 WHIP over 573.2 innings. Last year with the Pittsburgh Pirates, his most recent stint at the Major League level, he posted a 4.38 ERA and 4.34 FIP with 66 strikeouts in 61.2 innings pitched.
