Dodgers sign B.J. Rosenberg, Ramon Troncoso to minor league contracts

LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers have added a pair of relievers on minor league deals this week, signing right-handers B.J. Rosenberg and old friend Ramon Troncoso, the latter per Matt Eddy of Baseball America.

It is unknown whether either one has an invitation to major league spring training camp, something far more likely for Rosenberg, who has spent parts of each of the last three seasons in the majors with the Phillies.

Rosenberg, 29, appeared in just 13 games for Philadelphia in 2014, allowing 10 runs on 20 hits in 12 innings, with seven walks and nine strikeouts. He didn't do much better in Triple-A Lehigh Valley, putting up a 6.63 ERA with 37 baserunners allowed in 19 innings, to go with his 17 strikeouts.

He has a 5.72 ERA in 57 major league games, but also 52 strikeouts (and 30 walks) in 56⅔ innings, to go with a 20.7-percent strikeout rate.

Troncoso hasn't pitched in the majors since 2013 with the White Sox. He was 1-6 with a 4.30 ERA in Triple-A Omaha in the Royals system in 2014, with 33 strikeouts and 11 walks in 44 innings.

The sinker-balling Troncoso was a valuable asset in the Dodgers bullpen in 2008 and 2009, becoming one of manager Joe Torre's most trusted relief options, which he sadly found out was much like being one of Lennie's favorite mice.

To start the 2010 season, Troncoso pitched in 14 of the Dodgers' first 20 games, in a 21-day span, more than any other Dodgers pitcher ever to start a season. By contrast Mike Marshall, who pitched a record 106 games and 208⅓ relief innings in his Cy Young Award-winning 1974 campaign, appeared in 12 of the Dodgers' first 20 games that year.

Troncoso, who turns 32 on Feb. 16, in 2008-2009 had a 3.21 ERA (a 127 ERA+) with 93 strikeouts (an 18.0-percent strikeout rate), 46 walks and five home runs allowed in 120⅔ innings.

From 2010-2013, which doesn't include 2012 since Troncoso spent the entire year in the minors, Troncoso put up a 4.89 ERA (an 81 ERA+) with 66 strikeouts (a 13.9-ercent rate), 38 walks and 16 home runs allowed in 106⅔ innings.

No matter what happens in his second stint with the organization, Troncoso will always have the four-inning save in Denver as his place in Dodgers lore.

The Dodgers also signed infielder/outfielder Albert Cartwright, with the idea of turning him into a catcher, a position he last played in high school, per J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News. Cartwright hit .243/.295/.315 in Double-A Reading in the Phillies system in 2014.