The Los Angeles Dodgers signed Chris Okey and Brendon Davis to Minor League contracts, which likely include none-roster invitations to 2024 Spring Training.
Okey was assigned to Oklahoma City Baseball Club in Triple-A following the signing, while Davis joined the Double-A Tulsa Drillers.
Davis was originally drafted by the Dodgers in the fifth round of the 2015 Major League Baseball Draft. The Lakewood High School product was part of the trade that brought Yu Darvish to the Dodgers during the 2017 Trade Deadline.
He most recently spent time with the Detroit Tigers’ Triple-A affiliate Toledo Mud Hens this past season. Davis endured one of his worst offensive seasons in professional baseball, carrying a .651 on-base plus slugging in 43 games.
Okey made the move to the Dodgers after spending the 2023 season with the Los Angeles Angels. He has also seen time at the MLB level with the Cincinnati Reds.
The 29-year-old backstop was solid in Triple-A with the Salt Lake Bees, holding a .759 OPS with six home runs, 26 RBI, and 24 runs scored in 210 at-bats.
He wrapped up his season in Salt Lake with a .333/.394/.533 slash this past September, which bodes well for his outlook heading into Spring Training. Okey elected free agency on Oct. 10, which made him available to sign with any team around MLB.
Both appear to be organizational depth moves and unlikely to see time at the MLB level this season. However, if the Dodgers do find themselves in need of an additional catcher at some point this season, Okey is a solid player to have in the organization.
Dodgers sign Elieser Hernández to Minor League deal
In addition to other Minor League signings, the Dodgers were also rumored to have nabbed right-handed arm Elieser Hernández.
Last pitching for the Miami Marlins during the 2022 season, Hernández showed a solid ability to strikeout big league hitters while limiting free passes. In his career, Hernández has been used as both a starter and a reliever, but once he was moved to the bullpen, he saw an uptick in velocity.
His best production during his big league career came in 2020, posting a career-high 11.9 strikeouts per nine.
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