Steve Webb
Everything old is new again. Every year, the Dodgers seem to have at least one signing of a former member of the team for another go round at Chavez Ravine. From Russell Martin and Matt Kemp a few years ago to when Orel Hershiser had his final ill-fated run with the team way back in 2000, the Dodgers seem to love these reclamation projects. The latest names that we can add to that list are pitchers Brandon Morrow and Brock Stewart. Both men signed minor league contracts with the Dodgers on Friday.
In addition, the Dodgers signed a few other names to deals as well. Righthanded starter Jimmy Nelson, lefty James Pazos, and infielder Carlos Asuaje are now all under minor league contract with the club. But Morrow and Stewart are the most familiar names on the list.
Brock Stewart’s time with the Dodgers was, well, not great. He was drafted out of Illinois State University in the 6th round of 2014. In his Dodger career, he bounced up and down between the big leagues and the minors, appearing as both a starter and reliever. Finally, the was put on waivers in July of 2019 and picked up by Toronto to finish the year. So far in his career, he has a 6-3 record with a 6.03 ERA in just over 100 MLB innings. With all the talented arms ahead of him, Stewart figures to be pretty low on the depth chart in 2020.
The journeyman Morrow is a different story altogether. He was a vital piece out of the bullpen in his one season with the Dodgers, 2017. Getting the ball in a lot of clutch situations, Morrow was a great setup man for Kenley Jansen all year, posting a rock-solid 2.06 ERA over 45 appearances. By the time the 2017 World Series rolled around, Morrow had so gained the trust of skipper Dave Roberts that he appeared in every single game against the Astros*. In 2018, he signed with the Cubs, and was off to a good start until an elbow injury ended his season. The righthander has been on the sidelines nursing that injury ever since. So the question is, can Morrow regain that magic that propelled him to the top of his craft? Is there anything left in the tank for this 36-year-old? We shall see.
