Dodgers sign former division rival who hasn't pitched since 2021 in mystery move

Outside of their blockbuster additions this offseason, the Dodgers have made a handful of minor-league signings that have involved casting a pretty wide net. There's a lot of variance here in terms of actual major league potential.

Daniel Hudson, who pitched 27 1/3 innings for the Dodgers in 2022 and 2023, signed to his second minor-league contract with the team in December, but most of the other names are for the most part unfamiliar. And that's how Mark Prior, Andrew Friedman and Co. seem to like it.

In their latest move, the Dodgers added right-handed reliever Jesse Hahn on Wednesday, who made his debut with the Padres in 2014 and has gone on a few hiatuses since then. He'll join their minor-league system, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. He made the switch to the bullpen in 2019, but could always switch back.

Dodgers sign former division rival Jesse Hahn, who hasn't pitched since 2021

Between stints in the minors, Hahn was a starter in his one season with the Padres and following three with the A's, but he never pitched more than 100 innings in a season and was consistently plagued by injuries in Oakland. He posted a 5.30 ERA in his last year in Oakland before being traded the Royals in 2018. He didn't make another appearance in the major leagues until 2019, when he stumbled through 4 2/3 innings and put up a 13.50 ERA. 2020 was a lot better (17 1/3 innings, 0.52 ERA), but he declined again in 2021 with injuries and poor performance before becoming a free agent at the end of the year.

He hasn't pitched at all since then, in either a minor or major league capacity, making the Dodgers plucking him out of obscurity and signing him a bit of a dubious move. All told, Hahn has spent seven years in the major leagues, pitched 311 1/3 innings, and has a career 4.22 ERA. It's entirely possible that they know something we don't and have okay-enough reasons to take a chance on Hahn, but it feels largely unlikely that we'll see him in the major leagues again anytime soon.