Miguel Olivo was suspended by the Miami Marlins after leaving the club midway through the 2013 season. (Associated Press photo)
The Dodgers bulked up their major-league spring training roster Tuesday with one veteran and a swarm of prospects. Free agent catcher Miguel Olivo, 35, signed a minor-league contract with an invitation to major league spring training. Olivo batted .203/.250/.392 for the Miami Marlins last year before leaving the team in June. More recently Olivo batted .198/.289/.314 in 26 games in the Dominican Winter League. The 12-year major league veteran immediately becomes the most experienced backstop in camp. Only three catchers are currently on the Dodgers’ 40-man roster: A.J. Ellis, Tim Federowicz and Drew Butera. The Dodgers also re-signed catcher Griff Erickson to a minor-league deal and invited him to spring training, along with eight of the organization’s top prospects: Joc Pederson, Zach Lee, Chris Reed, Ross Stripling, Miguel Rojas, Red Patterson, Carlos Frias and Chris O’Brien.
It’s the first major-league spring training invitation for Pederson — tabbed as the Dodgers’ number-one overall prospect by both MLB.com and BaseballAmerica.com — and Lee, whom MLB.com chose as the Dodgers’ top pitching prospect.
Pederson, Lee, Reed, Stripling, Frias and Rojas finished last season at Double-A Chattanooga. Patterson spent all of last season at Triple-A Albuquerque and O’Brien finished at Single-A Rancho Cucamonga.
They will join five other non-roster invitees in Glendale, Arizona in February: Infielder Clint Robinson, left-hander Daniel Moskos, infielder Brendan Harris, right-hander Sam Demel and catcher J.C. Boscan.
