When Major League Baseball suspended operations in Spring Training and delayed the start of the 2020 season, it also enacted a transactions freeze. That remained in place until last Friday, which was a precursor to teams setting their initial player pools.
Although clubs were permitted to include as many as 60 players in that group, Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman indicated the team would take a methodical approach.
As such, the Dodgers’ initial player pool was 51 players. Some of the available spots presumably will go to 2020 MLB Draft Picks after they sign. In the meantime, however, the player pool appears as though it will add AJ Ramos.
According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the right-hander signed a Minor League contract with the Dodgers:
Free-agent right-hander AJ Ramos in agreement with #Dodgers on minor-league deal, source tells The Athletic. Will be added to 60-man player pool.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 2, 2020
Ramos being added to the Dodgers’ player pool suggests he will join the team for Spring Training 2.0 at Dodger Stadium. Players began reporting this week for testing and are expected to hold their first official workout on Friday.
Ramos is looking to make a return after last pitching for the New York Mets during the 2018 season. He missed all of last year while recovering from surgery to repair a torn labrum.
Ramos spent parts of six seasons with the Miami Marlins, where he became an All-Star in 2016. Over those six years he collected 92 saves, pitched to a 2.78 ERA and averaged 10.4 strikeouts per nine innings.
If the 33-year-old is able to recapture some of that prior form, he will provide the Dodgers with another electric arm in their bullpen. Although Ramos reportedly has joined the organization on a Minor League deal, it’s not unconceivable that he would make their active roster at some point.
Particularly with MLB permitting teams to carry 30 players for the first two weeks, then trimmed down to 28 for another stretch of time before being locked in at 26 for the rest of the season.
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