Dodgers minor league free agents overview: Drew Avans, Sauryn Lao & more

The main focus of the hot stove season is the bigger names, the ones who show up on various free agent ranking lists. But there will be hundreds of transactions this winter, big and small. Outside of the 174 major league free agents this offseason, there were another 537 players who became minor league free agents on November 4.

Matt Eddy at Baseball America chronicled the latter, which included 17 Dodgers.

There are even more free agents than that, players who fall in between. Like left-hander Nick Ramirez and right-hander J.P. Feyereisen, who each pitched in the majors for the Dodgers this season, but ended the year off the 40-man roster. In October, both pitchers elected free agency. Similarly, pitcher Connor Brogdon elected free agency on Friday after clearing waivers and getting sent outright to the minors.

But let’s take a look at the Dodgers minor league free agents, courtesy of MLB’s transaction log and Baseball America.

Corner infielder Cristian Santana and outfielder Donovan Casey originally signed with the Dodgers as amateurs, went elsewhere, and returned on minor league deals this August, joining Double-A Tulsa. Santana played in the Reds system in 2022 but was playing independent ball before re-joining the Dodgers, while Casey was part of the Max Scherzer/Trea Turner trade return for the Nationals in 2021 before becoming a free agent last November.

Utility man Brendon Davis, who reached the majors in 2022 with the Tigers, was originally drafted by the Dodgers in the fifth round in 2015 and was traded to the Rangers in 2017 in the trade for Yu Darvish. He re-signed with the Dodgers on a minor league deal last January, and spent the bulk of this season with Double-A Tulsa.

Jon Duplantier was another returner to the Dodgers’ system after pitching 2022 in Triple-A Oklahoma City. He started 2024 in Triple-A with the Mets before signing with the Dodgers in August, and split time the rest of the way between Tulsa and OKC. Duplantier went out with a bang, striking out 12 in six perfect innings in his final start of the year in September.

Like Duplantier, pitcher Jordan Lyles and infielder Alan Trejo also had previous major league experience prior to signing with the Dodgers in-season. Both played for Oklahoma City this year. Same for veteran catcher Chris Okey, who played all season in Triple-A.

Left-hander Jorge Benitez was released by the Red Sox in August, then signed with the Dodgers and finished out the year with eight games in relief for Tulsa.

Outfielder Drew Avans was drafted by the Dodgers in the 33rd round in 2018, a round that no longer exists in the draft. He set Bricktown Era (since 1998) records with Oklahoma City for hits, runs scored, walks, and triples. Pitcher John Rooney was also drafted by the Dodgers in 2018, in the third round, and this year had a 4.33 ERA in 53 games in Triple-A, and led Oklahoma City relievers with 71 strikeouts.

Several international signees were among this year’s Dodgers minor league free agents. Right-hander Juan Morillo signed out of Venezuela in 2015, while pitchers Jeisson Cabrera, Franklin De La Paz, and Michael Martinez signed in 2017. Sauryn Lao signed with the Dodgers in 2015 out of the Dominican Republic but was an infielder through 2022 prior to converting to pitching in 2023. He made Triple-A this season, putting up a 5.22 ERA in 29⅓ innings for Oklahoma City.

Right-hander Kevin Gowdy signed with the Dodgers last January, while right-hander Tanner Dodson was acquired by trade in March 2022 for outfielder Luke Raley. Both Gowdy and Dodson pitched all season for Oklahoma City before reaching free agency. Dodson has already found a new home, signing a minor league deal with the A’s. Either way, Dodson will likely pitch all his 2025 home games in Sacramento.

Gowdy, Okey, and Avans were all non-roster invitees in Dodgers camp during spring training, but none of them reached the majors this year.

Among the over 500 minor league free agents, the Dodgers have already signed three to minor league deals for 2025. Left-hander Joe Jacques got a non-roster invitation to spring training, while pitcher Justin Jarvis and infielder Aaron Bracho each signed minors deals with Los Angeles.