Dodgers Clear Room on 40-Man Roster

The Dodgers made a pair of minor trades, trading a pitcher to Seattle and a pitcher and an infielder to the Yankees.

The Dodgers have been busy with minor league pitchers today.

Their deal with Yaisel Sierra is reportedly just pending physical, which this offseason has taught us is far from a sure thing. MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez reported it’s a six-year, $30 million deal.

Needing a roster spot, the Dodgers got to work, trading Joe Wieland to the Mariners.

Wieland was one of two pitching prospects the Dodgers received along with Yasmani Grandal from San Diego last offseason. The other, Zach Eflin, was promptly traded to Philadelphia for Jimmy Rollins.

Wieland started two games for the Dodgers last year. In eight 2/3 innings, he allowed 10 hits and eight runs. His first start in Milwaukee went poorly, as he allowed six runs in less than five innings. He pitched better his second time around, holding the Angels to two runs in four innings.

In AAA, Wieland had a 4.59 ERA in 21 starts for the OKC Dodgers last year. The Dodgers minor league starting pitching depth chart is crowded with Julio Urias, Jose De Leon, Mike Bolsinger, Jharel Cotton, Carlos Frias, Frankie Montas and now maybe Sierra being in contention for a starting spot at OKC. Moving Wieland frees up a spot in that rotation and frees up a spot on the 40-man roster for Sierra.

Erick Mejia is a Dominican middle infielder that turned 21 in November. He’s a switch hitter and played at four different minor league levels for Seattle last year, moving from Rookie ball all the way up to AAA. 149 of his 195 plate appearances last year came at low-A with the Everett AquaSox, and he triple-slashed .282/.361/.336 and stole 18 bases in 18 chances.

A bit later, the Dodgers were involved in another move, moving a pair of recently DFA’d players to the Yankees.

Ronald Torreyes was DFA’d after the Dodgers signed Kenta Maeda, and Tyler Olson was DFA’d for Brandon Beachy. Olson was acquired from the Mariners for a PTBNL in December, and Torreyes had two hits in eight plate appearances for the Dodgers last year.

Rob Segedin is a 27-year old that played first, third and left for the Yankee’s AAA team last year. He’s a career .272 hitter in the minors and likely won’t take a spot on the 40-man.

In further news, six Dodgers filed for salary arbitration. Justin Turner, Luis Avilan, Yasmani Grandal, Chris Hatcher, Kenley Jansen and Scott Van Slyke are all eligible for arbitration, and the Dodgers will have to come to terms on a one-year deal with each player or risk going to an arbitration hearing. Each player more-than-likely will sign a deal at some point this week, as their last hearing was in 2007. Turner and Jansen will each be free agents next offseason unless the Dodgers agree to a long-term deal.