Dodgers Sign Free Agent Pitcher to MiLB Contract

The Dodgers have added a young pitcher.

If you were peaking around the Dodgers transaction log recently, you may have seen that they made a move. On May 8, the Dodgers signed free agent RHP Marlon Nieves to a minor league contract. Then, a day later, they assigned him to play in the Dominican Summer League.

I know what you’re wondering: Who is Marlon Nieves?

Well, allow me to tell you, with the limited information I have.

Who is Marlon Nieves?

Marlon Fionel Nieves is a 17-year-old pitcher, born June 10, 2005. He’s from San Pedro de Macoris in the Dominican Republic, where he’ll now be playing as a part of the Dodgers organization.

Nieves is a right-handed pitcher, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 170 pounds. And now that I’ve told you his basic biography, I’m all out of information.

We don’t have much information on Nieves right now, but clearly, some Dodger scout liked what they saw with him.

Nieves is starting very, very low in the minor leagues, but will look to work his way up in the Dodgers system.

There’s a very good chance we never hear from him again, but with random international minor league prospects, it’s really hard to know.

It never hurts to sign someone to a minor league deal, and it’s nice to give the 17-year-old an opportunity to showcase his stuff against better competition than what he was likely playing against.

And for what it's worth, there are some great baseball legends who are from San Pedro de Macoris. Sammy Sosa is from there, as is Alfonso Soriano and Fernando Tatis Sr.

Also, if anything, this move just shows how intense and methodical baseball teams are in their search for new talent.

In a random spot in the Dominican Republic, the Dodgers found a 17-year-old pitcher with good enough stuff to give him an opportunity in the Dominican Summer League with their team. If that’s not a good way of proving the intricacies of baseball, then I don’t know what is.

Best of luck to Nieves in the Dominican Summer League this season. Hopefully, in a few years from now, he’s a name that we start to hear a little more.