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LOS ANGELES -- Among the minor league signings recently by the Dodgers is outfielder Corey Brown, who was signed by the club on Jan. 13. The signing was first reported by Matt Eddy of Baseball America last week.
The team hasn't confirmed, but with non-roster invitees likely announced within the coming week Brown seems a likely candidate to be in big league camp at Camelback Ranch.
Brown, 30, hit .243/.316/.455 with 19 home runs and 19 doubles in 114 games for Triple-A Durham in the Rays system in 2015, and also stole 15 bases in 17 attempts. The left-hander played parts of four seasons in the big leagues (2011-2014) with the Nationals and Red Sox, going 7-for-41 (.171) with two home runs and four walks in 39 games.
Brown has been especially effective against right-handed pitchers, hitting .253/.321/.479 with 45 home runs in 917 plate appearances in the last three years with three different teams in the International League.
The majority of Brown's career minor league starts have come in center field, with 667 starts at the position compared to 104 in right field and 86 in left. With Durham in 2015, Brown started 65 games in center, 19 in left, and 11 games in right field.
Chris Heisey, Darnell Sweeney and Scott Schebler all started at least 37 games in center field for Triple-A Oklahoma City in 2015, accounting for 132 of the team's 144 starts at the position. All are no longer in the Dodgers' organization.
Brown played his college ball at Oklahoma State and was drafted by the Athletics in 2007 with a supplemental first-round pick, No. 59 overall. To give an idea of how different the free agent compensation system is between now and then, in 2007 the supplemental round after the first round ended with the 64th pick. In 2016, the most picks there will be by the end of the supplemental first round is 38.
Dodgers pitchers and catchers report to big league camp at Camelback Ranch on Friday, Feb. 19, with the first workout on Feb. 20. Position players report on Feb. 24, with the first full-squad workout on Thursday, Feb. 25.