Dodgers Sign Joe Thatcher To Minor-League Deal

The Dodgers have signed lefty Joe Thatcher to a minor-league deal, SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo tweets. Thatcher is a client of Platinum Sports.

The Indians released Thatcher near the end of Spring Training. Last season, he got good results in the Astros’ bullpen, posting a 3.18 ERA, 10.3 K/9 and 4.8 BB/9 in 22 2/3 innings and 43 plate appearances. Nearly two-thirds of the batters he faced were lefties, who hit .245/.365/.321 off him. Never a hard thrower, Thatcher had the lowest velocity of his career in 2015, with his average fastball dropping to just 84.5 MPH. The 34-year-old has a career 3.38 ERA, 9.3 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in parts of nine big-league seasons, during which he’s appeared with the Padres, Diamondbacks and Angels as well as the Astros.

The Dodgers currently have J.P. Howell and Adam Liberatore as lefties in their bullpen, with Luis Avilan, Sean Burnett and Ian Thomas available with Triple-A Oklahoma City. After having had a few weeks off, Thatcher will likely need a bit of time to get himself established at Oklahoma City before emerging as a potential big-league option.