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Dodgers sign former Yankees and Red Sox side-arm pitcher

ByThomas Carannante|
PORTLAND, ME - APRIL 07: Andrew Schwaab #21 of the Portland Sea Dogs returns to the dugout in the game between the Portland Sea Dogs and the Reading Fightin Phils at Hadlock Field on April 7, 2019 in Portland, Maine. (Photo by Zachary Roy/Getty Images)
PORTLAND, ME - APRIL 07: Andrew Schwaab #21 of the Portland Sea Dogs returns to the dugout in the game between the Portland Sea Dogs and the Reading Fightin Phils at Hadlock Field on April 7, 2019 in Portland, Maine. (Photo by Zachary Roy/Getty Images)

The Dodgers added a side-arm pitcher who could help the bullpen.

First it was Corey Knebel. Then came Brandon Morrow and Tommy Kahnle (though he can’t pitch until 2022). Now, the Los Angeles Dodgers have signed … Andrew Schwaab? Yup, we hadn’t heard of him until now either.

What we do know? He’s a right-handed side arm pitcher who has spent time in the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers organizations. However, he’s never appeared in an MLB game. In fact, he’s never reached Triple-A and he missed all of 2020 when the minor league season was canceled.

Pardon us for missing this signing that happened on Dec. 11, but it wasn’t announced. The Dodgers just seemingly snuck it in on their transactions page and thought nobody would notice. They were right!

If the Dodgers are still eyeing a big-name reliever, it’s clear Andrew Friedman is filling out the bullpen and stockpiling insurance in the minor leagues before doing so. Knebel and Morrow remain low-risk, high-reward pitchers, but are by no means surefire bullpen stabilizers. Schwaab isn’t even a major league pitcher.

The 27-year-old has been playing professionally since 2015 and his best season arguably came in 2019 when he was a member of the Red Sox. In 44 games between High-A Salem and Double-A Portland, he owned a 3.09 ERA and 1.15 WHIP with 66 strikeouts across 58.1 innings of work. The only issue? He plowed through High-A before getting obliterated in his 10 games at Double-A.

At the very least, Schwaab provides depth (hopefully) in the upper levels of the minor leagues and can help give up-and-coming offensive talent a different type of challenge with his release point and interesting mix of off-speed pitches.

At best? He can become a weapon out of the bullpen at the big-league level against a right-handed heavy lineup when manager Dave Roberts needs some outs, though at this point it’s wishful thinking given his track record since 2015 coupled with the fact he’s taken a year off from pitching.

Nonetheless, we won’t knock this low-risk signing. That’s been the narrative of the offseason.

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