Could Cole Irvin Be the Dodgers’ Hidden Ace? Inside the Surprising Minor League Signing

Hold onto your hats, because the Dodgers just added a fresh arm to their pitching pool—lefty Cole Irvin inked a minor league deal, along with a non-roster invite to spring training. Now, I know what you’re thinking: another name in the mix, but trust me, this could be more than just a footnote. The scoop first broke courtesy of Aram Leighton from Just Baseball Media, and yep, confirmed by the likes of Fabian Ardaya at The Athletic and Jon Heyman over at the New York Post—so it’s legit. Irvin’s journey is pretty intriguing; after spending last season tossing for the Doosan Bears in Korea’s baseball league—posting a 4.48 ERA and racking up strikeouts like a seasoned pro—he’s looking to make waves back in the States. At 32, with stints across several MLB teams under his belt, he’s no rookie on the big stage. Sure, his current spot on the Dodgers’ depth chart isn’t front and center, but remember: this club’s known for cycling through pitchers like a revolving door, setting records with usage numbers the last couple of seasons. Historically, many non-roster invitees have seized their chance to shine and make the majors roster. Bottom line? Irvin’s got a real shot this spring—not just to glue himself to a roster spot but to catch eyes for what’s next, be it Hollywood or elsewhere. Intrigued? LEARN MORE

Add another name to the pitching depth chart this year, as the Dodgers signed left-hander Cole Irvin to a minor league contract that includes a non-roster invitation to spring training, per multiple reports.

Aram Leighton at Just Baseball Media was first to report the signing, which was also confirmed by Fabian Ardaya at The Athletic and Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

Irvin pitched last season for the Doosan Bears in the Korean Baseball Organization, and put up a 4.48 ERA in 28 starts, with 128 strikeouts and 79 walks in 144 2/3 innings. The left-hander pitched parts of six years in the majors with the Phillies, A’s, Orioles, and Twins, with a 4.54 ERA and 4.45 FIP in 134 games, including 93 starts, with 434 strikeouts and 142 walks in 593 innings.

Irvin, who turned 32 on Saturday, was born in Anaheim and went to high school there at Servite. The Phillies drafted the left-hander out of the University of Oregon in the fifth round in 2016.

Irvin’s place on the depth chart with the Dodgers is probably low at the moment, but this is also a team that used a franchise-record 40 pitchers in each of the last two seasons, after using 39 pitchers in 2023. Last spring training, five of the 14 non-roster arms in big league camp ended up pitching in the majors for the Dodgers. Seven of 12 non-roster pitchers from 2024 spring training pitched that season for the Dodgers as well, as did 10 of the 16 non-roster pitchers from 2023.

In other words, Irvin has a puncher’s — or perhaps pitcher’s — chance of pitching for the Dodgers this season. Or at the very least, he could use his spring training to open eyes for another opportunity elsewhere.