Dodgers Sign Dustin McGowan To One-Year Deal

The Dodgers continue to stockpile arms during spring training, and now they have reportedly come to an agreement with right hander Dustin McGowan on a one-year deal. Apparently he had shown up to the Dodger’s camp at Camelback the other day, as the club announced the deal this morning.

McGowan is a 32-year old right hander that was originally drafted by the Blue Jays in the first round of the 2000 amateur draft. McGowan made his MLB debut for Toronto in 2005, and has pitched his entire seven year MLB career with the Blue Jays.

McGowan has gone from a starter to a reliever in the last few years with the Blue Jays. Apparently he’s preformed better as a reliever than as a starter, posting a 3.79 ERA as a reliever compared to 4.78 ERA as a starter. Here’s another guy who has had several surgeries throughout his career. He had Tommy John surgery in 2004, and then three subsequent shoulder surgeries.

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Overall McGowan is 25-27 with a 4.57 ERA, and 4.27 FIP in 158 games, 69 of them as a starter. McGowan has whiffed 7.3 per nine innings, and allowed 8.7 career hits per nine innings in 482 big league frames.

McGowan has won as many as 12 games as a starter, (12-10 4.08 ERA, 144 whiffs in 2007), and has made as many as 27 starts in a season. Last year, McGowan pitched in 53 games for Toronto all in relief. He posted a 5-3 record, 4.17 ERA, recording 61 whiffs against 33 walks in 82 innings pitched.

McGowan’s FIP last year (5.02) suggests that he allowed too many base runners and he posted an 8.8 hits per nine rate. McGowan’s biggest problem in 2014 was that he was homer prone. The right hander allowed 13 long balls in 2014, and has averaged 1.0 home runs per nine innings. McGowan has generally been used as a middle reliever, which is the way I expect the Dodgers to use him in.

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The scouting report on McGowan lists that he has four pitches. He has a four-seam fastball that can reach the 92-94 range. He has a slider, curveball, and changeup. However he primarily throws fastball/slider the last couple of years. He’ll occasionally toss in a curve or change.

McGowan will wear number 27 with the Dodgers. The club moved Brandon Beachy, who they just signed on Saturday from the 15-day to the 60-day disabled list. Financial terms of the contract have yet to be announced.