December 27th, 2016 at 6:00 am 
by Harold Uhlman The off-season search for minor league free agents to fill out minor league rosters is on. It is picking up but certainly isn’t a feeding frenzy. In fact, it might be described as catch and release as teams, and the Dodgers in particular, go through the same process every winter. That is, they sign minor league free agents, employ them for a season, and then have many of them sign elsewhere for the next season thus necessitating a search for replacements.
In truth, it is not as haphazard as it seems. For a variety of reasons there will be a logical turnover of minor league players, especially at the Double-A and Triple-A levels. Some players simply see a better chance of advancement with other MLB teams where they will not be as backed up as they might be in their present situation. Teams are always looking for specific needs as players retire or choose to sign with another team. One specific need, in particular, is always relief pitching with pitchers at or close to major league ready. And, teams are always on the lookout for a hidden gold nugget such as the Dodgers found on February 5, 2014 when present third baseman Justin Turner was signed to a minor league contract.
To date, since the completion of the World Series, the Dodgers have signed 10 minor league free agents.
The latest three signings are all right-handed pitchers.
Andrew Thurman
Thurman was selected by the Houston Astros in the 2nd round of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of California, Irvine. In January of 2015 he was traded to the Atlanta Braves in the deal that sent Evan Gattis to the Astros.
The 25-year-old Thurman has had a four-year minor league career reaching as high as the Mississippi Braves in the Southern league in 2016.
He had a fastball in the 92-93 mph range along with a curve, slider and change up. However, he has been plagued by control problems beginning in 2015 and last season he walked 65 in 87 innings causing the Braves to release him in August.
The 6’3”/225-pound Thurman did have an encouraging start to his 2016 season and after a very strong outing in May it was felt he might have turned the corner.
“The command felt good on my fastball and breaking pitches,” Thurman said. “I was able to get ahead in the count, threw well and expanded the zone when I needed to get some good outs. The pitching coach, Dennis Lewallyn, and I have been working a lot on my mechanics, trying to help me get the ball down and improve my fastball command, and it just kind of clicked tonight.” Dodger fans might recall that Lewallyn pitched for the Dodgers in the late 70’s.
Things felt apart for him as the season progressed primarily because of control issues. He may well begin his 2017 season with the Tulsa Drillers of the Texas League.
Wilmer Font
Font was initially signed by the Texas Rangers as a non-drafted free agent on July 11, 2006. He was born in La Guaira, Venezuela and has already played eight years of minor league baseball. The 6’4”/265-pound Font along the way had the now almost obligatory Tommy Surgery back in 2011. The following year in 2012 his fastball was ranked the best in the Rangers organization by Baseball America.
Font dominated the minors in 2013, putting up a 1.04 ERA in 52 innings split between AA and AAA, striking out 71 and walking 34. Following a mid-season call up to the Rangers he appeared in a pair of games in the majors. He has never really replicated that season depending primarily on an upper 90 mph fastball for his outs.
In 2016 Font played with the Ottawa Champions of the Can-Am Independent League. The 26-year-old Font was leading the league in strikeouts with 61, complete games with three and was second in innings pitched with 60.1 when he was signed by the Toronto Blue Jays.
Champions manager Hal Lanier says affiliated baseball is where Font belongs. “He’s been outstanding for us this year,” said Lanier. “I’m so happy he’s getting an opportunity. He deserves it.”
Font
He finished the 2016 season with the Blue Jays New Hampshire Fisher Cats in the Double-A Eastern League posting a 3.47 ERA while striking out 47 and walking seven.
Font may well be poised to have a full year at the AAA level with the Oklahoma City Dodgers.
Jay Muhammad
Jay Muhammad was selected by the Seattle Mariners in the 11th round of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft out of Coral Springs Christian Academy in Coral Springs, Florida.
The 6’2’/195-pound native of Somerset, New Jersey pitched in the Arizona Rookie League for the 2014 and 2015 seasons walking more hitters than he struck out. In March of 2016 he was released by the Mariners making him a free agent after only two years of minor league ball.
He was signed by the Arizona Diamondbacks and had a comparatively good season in 2016, again in the Arizona League. He posted a 0.62 ERA and a WHIP of 1.14 giving up but 13 hits in 29 innings while walking 20 and striking out 36.
Muhammad has given up only 50 hits in his minor league total of 83 innings. His control improved significantly in 2016 and at the end of the season he chose to become a free agent again.
The Dodgers signed Muhammad and may assign him to the Ogden Raptors of the rookie level Pioneer League. He will pitch the entire 2017 season as a 22-year-old so an initial placement with the Great Lakes Loons of the Midwest League may be a better expectation for him.
On the other side of the ledger, former Dodger prospects catcher Spencer Navin has signed with the Rockies while second baseman Noah Perio has signed with the Padres.
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