The Dodgers have made an under-the-radar addition to an already deep and talented bullpen in the addition of free-agent right-hander AJ. Ramos.
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
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the Dodgers and Ramos have reached an agreement on a minor league contract and that Ramos will be added to the team’s 60-man player pool. This news comes just one day after Ramos talked about how he still has a lot left in him.
“I know that I have a lot left in me. This is what I love to do. It’s like I have a new motivation. Before, I was motivated to show everybody that I was good enough. Now, I’m motivated just to play — to have the max amount of fun doing it. If there’s a season [in 2020], I’ll be ready for it.”
Ramos, who hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2018 due to ongoing shoulder troubles, recently tweeted a video of himself pitching in a game setting and included the hashtag “#Comebackszn” with velocity and spin-rate data courtesy of Cressey Sports Performance in Florida. The 33-year-old right-hander missed the entire 2019 season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn labrum. Ramos, however, appears in the video he tweeted to be at or close to full strength as his fastball sat in the 93-95 mph range and featured him throwing all of his offspeed pitches.
Ramos is an intriguing buy-low option for the Dodgers. While he has obviously not pitched in the majors in quite some time, he was prior to his injury troubles one of the game’s more effective late-inning relievers. If he can return to form he would make a great addition to what is already a pretty solid bullpen.