Dodgers Officially Sign 2 Pitchers to Kick Off Free Agency

The first Dodgers signing of the offseason took place on Thursday, as the team agreed to a one-year deal with right-hander Ricky Vanasco. Vanasco was in the Dodgers organization at the end of last season, but he elected free agency once the year was done.

However, he landed back with Los Angeles and, this time, signed a major league contract with them. LA is very high on his upside, and he did enough in the limited time that he spent with them last year to warrant a big-league deal and a spot on the 40-man roster.

Dodgers insider J.P. Hoornstra reports that his deal is worth $900,000.

Source: Ricky Vanasco will earn $900,000 under his MLB deal with the #Dodgers.
— J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) November 16, 2023

Vanasco was originally drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 2017 MLB Draft and has worked his way up the minor leagues since. The Dodgers likely view him as a multi-use pitcher since he has experience in both the bullpen and as a starting pitcher in his career.

In addition to Vanasco, the Dodgers also signed right-handed pitcher Eduardo Salazar to a minor-league contract. He is 25 years old and has spent time in the Cincinnati Reds organization since he joined them back in 2017.

He made his major league debut this past season, posting an ERA of 8.03 over eight games played. He pitched 12.1 innings for the Reds, and this seems to be a buy-low type of signing for LA. Or even just a depth piece for the minor leagues.

The Dodgers signed 25-year-old RHP Eduardo Salazar to a minor league contract

Salazar had been in the Reds org since he first signed in 2017, and he pitched eight games in the majors for Cincinnati last year with an 8.03 ERA. Was mostly sinker/slider in that small sample pic.twitter.com/kAIXYA32Gw
— Bruce Kuntz (@Bnicklaus7) November 16, 2023

The Dodgers love to take reclamation projects on, and maybe Salazar will be the next one to work out well. He has the skill but hasn’t been able to put it together yet. Maybe the Dodgers' magic will work its charm once again.

Neither of these moves are eye-popping, but it shows the work that LA is always doing to replenish depth across the organization. We will see if either move pans out, but the offseason is officially underway.