Dodgers continue big offseason, ink Brett Anderson to deal

The Dodgers have continued their big offseason, as they have signed lefty Brett Anderson to a one-year, $10 million deal, according to Buster Olney of ESPN.

Anderson's deal includes up to $4 million in performance boosters, Olney reported, and as Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports reports, Anderson begins earning his incentives after 150 innings pitched. He can earn the full $4 million if he pitches 200 innings or more, reports Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times.

Passan reports that the Braves and the Royals were the finalists for Anderson, two teams that could use a guy of Anderson's caliber, a type of guy who will sign on with a medium-risk, high-reward type of deal. And that is exactly what he got with the Dodgers, however, a $10 million guarantee is a pretty nice paycheck regardless of the performance boosters.

Anderson has only pitched over 150 innings once in his career, back in 2009. He has had three surgeries, a foot stress fracture, and elbow issues (which lead to Tommy John surgery). Anderson has been brilliant when on the field, but that is becoming more of a rarity.

The Colorado Rockies signed Anderson two a one-year, $1.5 million deal last offseason and ended up buying out of his contract option. He went 1-3 with a 2.91 ERA in 43.1 innings pitched in 2014, posting a 29 to 13 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He was good, very good, in fact, as he posted the second-highest (tied) ERA+ of his career, pitching in the second-fewest innings.

Anderson adds to a whole boatload of Dodgers additions this offseason. They have acquired Jimmy Rollins, Howie Kendrick, and Yasmani Grandal, to help the holes they have had at shortstop, second base, and catcher, respectively, while adding Brandon McCarthy to help the rotation. Anderson could be a real steal for Andrew Friedman and the front office, but he needs to stay healthy.

The former second round pick out of Stillwater High (Stillwater, Oklahoma) is 27-32 with a 3.73 ERA in 494.0 innings pitched over his six year big league career, spending time with the Athletics and Rockies.

--Devan Fink

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