Rumors: Dodgers Expected To Sign Pitcher Chin-Hui Tsao

It feels like ages since the Los Angeles Dodgers made a move after their wild week in San Diego during the Winter Meetings.

While there will be plenty of new faces on the team this upcoming season, many believe the Dodgers are not done in their dealings this offseason. Pitching is considered their top priority and Andrew Friedman has said that the bullpen is not done. Friedman and the front office have made plenty of moves, big and small, in order to improve the NL West champions.

According to Bill Shaikin of the LA Times, the Dodgers are close to signing a former club member:

The Dodgers are close to signing right-hander Chin-hui Tsao, who has not played professional baseball since the Taiwanese league expelled him five years ago amid allegations of game-fixing.

The deal will be a minor-league deal and it is unknown whether Tsao will receive an invitation to spring training. Tsao pitched with the Dodgers in 2007, appearing in 21 games. He finished that season with a 4.38 ERA in 24.2 innings. That would be the last time he pitched in the major leagues, failing to make the Kansas City Royals roster in 2008 before heading to the Chinese Professional Baseball League.

Tsao was expelled from the CPBL in 2009 after an investigation into game-fixing and he has not pitched professionally since then. The Dodgers cleared their pursuit of Tsao with the MLB commissioner’s office. The 33-year-old reportedly hit 95 MPH in November, and was supposed to play in Australia before opting not to.

This could be the type of shrewd move that goes overlooked now and could pay off during the season.