Report: Dodgers sign Stefen Romero to minor-league contract

We have some roster news!!!

According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, the Dodgers have signed 33-year-old Stefen Romero to a minor-league contract with an invite to spring training. Romero last appeared in the big leagues with the Mariners in 2016. He has spent the previous five seasons in the Japan Pacific League.

Over the last five years he’s appeared in 426 games, hitting 96 home runs with 264 runs driven in. He’s posted a slash of .264/.331/.497/.828.

Romero was drafted by the Mariners in the 12th round of the 2010 MLB Draft. He rose quickly through their system and was named Seattle’s Minor League Player of the Year in 2012. The right-handed hitter made his major-league debut in 2014 but struggled. During his first season, Romero hit .192 with an OPS of .533 in 72 games.

Over the course of the next two seasons, Romero appeared in only 22 games for the Mariners. In 94 career games, Romero hit four home runs and drove in 17 runs while posting a .549 OPS.

Romero hit 24 home runs in 103 games as recently as 2020. As Rosenthal indicated in his tweet, Romero can be a potential DH option for the Dodgers should he crack the big-league roster.