Dodgers News: Pair Of Former Phillies Sign Minor-League Deals

It never hurts to have too much depth, and that’s exactly what the new front office is stockpiling on this offseason.

According to the transactions page on the official Dodgers website, the team has signed B.J. Rosenberg to a minor league contract. He did not receive an invitation to spring training.

Rosenberg, 29, was drafted in the 13th round of the 2008 amateur draft by the Philadelphia Phillies. In 56.2 career major league innings, the right-hander owns a 5.72 ERA and 5.01 FIP, with much of his work coming out of the bullpen. His minor league numbers are much more promising, having posted a 3.56 ERA in 420 career innings.

Evidently, Los Angeles was not done adding former Phillies players, according to Devan Fink of Cover Those Bases:

Source: Minor league free agent 2B Albert Cartwright has signed a minor league deal with the #Dodgers.

— Devan Fink (@DevanFink) February 5, 2015

Cartwright, 27, has spent the last three seasons in the Phillies organization, although he was originally drafted by the New York Mets in 2006, and later, the Houston Astros in 2007. Even with his age typically high for a minor leaguer, he has yet to make his major league debut.

Last season for Double-A Reading, the righty slashed .243/.295/.315 in 485 plate appearances with only 24 extra base hits. Despite the lack of power and getting on base, he displayed impressive speed, stealing 28 bases while only getting caught 9 times. Known for his versatility, Cartwright played at three different positions last year, including 4 games in center field, 29 games in left field, and 82 games as a second baseman.

Interestingly enough, the Dodgers don’t plan on using him in the outfield or at second base in 2015. In beat writer, J.P. Hoornstra’s latest piece, he reports that Cartwright will be primarily used as a catcher, a position he hasn’t played since his high school days.

With Enrique Hernandez, Alex Guerrero, and Erisbel Arruebarrena already on board, the position change comes to no surprise. The Dodgers have a plethora of infield depth and a shortage of catching depth, so this move makes sense in many ways.

While these aren’t the splashy signings some fans are hoping for, they certainly add competition to the major league roster, and at worst, serve as minor league depth in case an injury occurs.