Left-handed pitcher Cole Irvin agreed to a minor-league deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday. The deal includes an invitation to big-league Spring Training. Irvin returns to MLB (spring training, at least) after spending the 2024 season bouncing between organizations. He then ultimately went overseas.
This move gives the Dodgers some organizational pitching depth as they sort through their options ahead of the 2026 season, looking for a third straight World Series title.
Irvin last appeared in the majors in 2024 with the Minnesota Twins, where he had a brief stint. The lefty made four appearances for Minnesota, going 0-1 with a 12.27 ERA and two strikeouts across 3.2 innings. While that stint did not go well, it was just a small part of his career that has spanned multiple seasons and teams at the major-league level.
Across six MLB seasons, Irvin has logged 593 innings, tallying a 28-40 record with a 4.54 ERA and 434 strikeouts. He has appeared in 134 games (93 starts) and pitched for four different franchises during that stretch. His most notable run came with the Oakland Athletics, where he was a regular member of the rotation in 2021 and 2022, eclipsing 178 innings in each of those seasons.
Irvin originally broke in with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2019 before spending time with Oakland and the Baltimore Orioles as his career progressed. His mix of starting and relief experience is part of what makes him a nice depth option for a Dodgers organization that often cycles pitchers between the majors and Triple-A throughout the season.
Irvin most recently pitched overseas in the KBO with the Doosan Bears. He posted a 4.48 ERA over 144 2/3 innings while making 28 starts. That performance, while not incredible, helped put him back on the radar for the defending back-to-back champions.
For the Dodgers, Irvin is a low-risk depth option. He is not currently a projected roster piece. Los Angeles routinely stocks experienced starters on minor-league deals to protect against injuries and workload management across a long season, which could be especially important pending Blake Snell’s early-season availability. If Irvin shows enough during spring training, he could move between Triple-A and the big-league roster this season, but that would require a 40-man spot.
At 32, Irvin’s path back to major-league innings is not guaranteed, but the opportunity is a good one with the league's premier organization in the Dodgers.