The Los Angeles Dodgers have been quiet on the roster moves front in terms of making small signings and organizational depth moves. The two big acquisitions the Dodgers have made this offseason have been closer Edwin Diaz and outfielder Kyle Tucker. With one of the best rosters already in baseball, Andrew Friedman has alluded that there likely won’t be any big transactions this offseason.
However, on Sunday, the Dodgers signed former Baltimore Orioles and Athletics southpaw starter Cole Irvin to a minor league contract, according to Aram Leighton of JustBBMedia.
Cole Irvin is 32 and spent his 2025 season with the Doosan Bears of the KBO. The left-handed pitcher is only a couple of years removed from pitching 111 innings for the Orioles and Twins.
More MLB on Heavy: Red Sox Trade Pitcher Acquired in Rafael Devers Deal to Chicago White Sox
What Does Signing Mean for the Dodgers?
This is an organizational depth signing for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Cole Irvin will likely start the 2026 season in the minors. With the Doosan Bears in 2025, he posted a 4.48 ERA over 144.2 innings.
The former Orioles and Athletics starter has a career 4.54 ERA across 134 appearances (93 starts) in MLB. He made 62 starts across two seasons with the Athletics (2021-2022), and then spent parts of two seasons with the Orioles before being claimed by the Twins halfway through the 2024 season.
GettyCole Irving pitching during an April 27 game against the Oakland Athletics.
This is likely an organizational depth piece move for Los Angeles, which already anticipates having a six-man rotation going into the 2026 season, and the Dodgers also have organizational arms that may be called on before Irvin.
More MLB on Heavy: Juan Soto News Emerges Amid World Baseball Classic Decision
Dodgers 2026 Rotation Outlook
After winning consecutive World Series titles, the Dodgers still have one of the best starting rotations in MLB.
Friedman and company may have made this recent signing of Cole Irvin because of the reports that Blake Snell may miss the start of the season, and Roki Sasaki is being thrust into a starter as he was when he first debuted.
Along with those names, Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Emmet Sheehan will round out the rotation. Los Angeles currently has eight starters on its depth chart, and one of the deepest rotations in baseball.
It will be interesting to see what role Cole Irvin has in the Dodgers organization and if he will pitch big-league innings with the club.
More MLB on Heavy: Mets Sign Longtime Dodgers Catcher to Help Bolster Positional Depth
Dodgers Sign Former Orioles, Athletics Starter to Minor League Contract