Dodgers News: LA Makes First Official Signing of Offseason
The Dodgers made their first official signing of the offseason on Thursday morning, agreeing to a one-year deal with right-handed pitcher Ricky Vanasco. Vanasco originally elected free agency earlier this offseason, but he now finds himself back with the Dodgers.
He will be added to the 40-man roster, bringing the total for the Dodgers up to 39 right now. The team just added three prospects to the 40-man roster to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft.
Vanasco came to the Dodgers this past June but was shortly after designated for assignment when veteran Daniel Hudson was set to return from his injury. He cleared waivers then and was sent down to Triple-A for the remainder of the year.
The right-hander pitched well while with the Dodgers, putting 28.3 innings of work in the minors after joining LA. He posted an ERA of 0.64 while striking out 42 batters during that time.
He was originally selected by the Texas Rangers in the 15th round of the 2017 MLB Draft and has worked his way up through the system. While he hasn’t made the major leagues yet, Vanasco did enough to warrant the Dodgers giving him a spot on the 40-man roster.
He spent time in the bullpen while with Triple-A, so he could be an option for the bullpen next season. But he does have experience starting games as well, so if he performs, the team could use him as a multi-purpose guy.
This signing is just the start to many by the Dodgers this offseason but moves like this one sometimes have a way of turning out well. We wish him luck this coming year, and hopefully, we get to see what he can do on the mound.
Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
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HERE WE GO AGAIN WITH THE BIG NAME SIGNINGS!!!
RICKY VANASCO???
Exactly!! I mean why waste time & $ on these kind of signings when we need SOLID starting pitching!?!?
Want to wait til everybody is gone is gone signed else where all the hype is getting old build this team back up not teardown like the 2020 team! Supposed to be the rich team of the west, looks like the Padres are!??
The Dodgers are once again showing what they can do and most of the time they go about doing things the right way. What baseball fans don’t understand is that there is a lot of work that goes into their choices, things such as scouting and keeping players that will help them in the very near future. I’m a lifelong Dodgers fan and their problems don’t lie on the field but within upper management and then the problems trickle onto the field causing the players, even the great ones, to perform horribly.
Exactly!! I mean why waste time & $ on these kind of signings when we need SOLID starting pitching!?!?
This guy has Dustin May like stuff. Be patient. The off-season has barely started. Agreed that 2-3 starters should be signed to complement Miller, Pepiot, and maybe Sheehan.
This kind of move is like an inexpensive insurance plan for the bullpen, like football or basketball you have your #1 starters, #2 for when #1 needs a breather #3 in case of injury, this guy is like a cheap option that can pitch really well, or not, if not then it’s cheap to cut him. He is like having a #5 or #6 on the depth chart
Want to wait til everybody is gone is gone signed else where all the hype is getting old build this team back up not teardown like the 2020 team! Supposed to be the rich team of the west, looks like the Padres are!??