Dodgers sign Jake Lamb, Mike Wright to minor league deals

The Dodgers announced they signed corner infielder/outfielder Jake Lamb and right-hander Mike Wright to minor league deals. Los Angeles also confirmed the previously reported minors pacts with Yency Almonte and Reyes Moronta.

Lamb has spent the bulk of his career in the NL West, having been the Diamondbacks’ regular third baseman for a few seasons. That included a 2016-17 peak that saw the left-handed hitter combine for a .248/.345/.498 line with 59 home runs. Lamb earned an unexpected All-Star nod the latter of those two seasons and looked like a potential long-term building block in Arizona.

Unfortunately, he’s seen his production on both sides of the ball turn downward following a 2018 shoulder injury that required surgery. He’s suited up for four teams — the D-backs, A’s, White Sox and Blue Jays — over the past three seasons but owns a cumulative .193/.309/.358 mark in that time. His once-strong defensive metrics at the hot corner have tumbled as well, and he’s seen increasing time at positions further down the defensive spectrum (i.e. first base, the corner outfield and designated hitter).

Wright, meanwhile, spent a few seasons as a back-end starter in Baltimore. He made the jump to South Korea in 2020, working 157 2/3 frames of 4.68 ERA ball with the KBO’s NC Dinos. Wright didn’t post especially impressive strikeout or walk numbers there, but he induced ground-balls at a huge 53.7% clip. That was enough to attract the attention of the White Sox, which inked him to a minor league deal for the 2021 campaign.

The right-hander spent the bulk of the season with Triple-A Charlotte, pitching to a solid 3.40 ERA over 16 starts. He was selected onto Chicago’s big league roster in mid-August and worked in relief at the MLB level. In 18 innings across 13 appearances, he posted a 5.50 ERA with 11 strikeouts and walks apiece. The Sox outrighted him off their roster at the end of the season, and he elected minor league free agency. He’ll offer the Dodgers some depth both in the rotation and/or long relief.