Dodgers ink Bradley Zimmer, Patrick Mazeika to minor league deals

The Dodgers added a pair of players on Saturday, inking outfielder Bradley Zimmer and catcher Patrick Mazeika. 

Zimmer, 30, spent time with both the Toronto Blue Jays and the Philadelphia Phillies in 2022, compiling just 117 plate appearances at the big league level. He had two homers and five RBIs, as well as a pair of stolen bases. 

Prior to last season, Zimmer was projected to be the centerfielder of the future for the Cleveland Guardians early in his career, but failure to produce at the big league level on top of a slew of injuries, caused the team to ship him to Toronto midway ahead of the 2022 campaign. He was placed on waivers in August, at which point the Phillies claimed him. He spent just nine games before he was designated for assignment, again picked up by Toronto. 

According to The Athletic, Zimmer was non-tendered by Toronto. 

A San Diego native, Zimmer was selected in the first round of the 2014 MLB Draft out of the University of San Francisco. Always highly regarded for his speed and ability in the field, Zimmer made his big league debut in 2017, and to date is a lifetime .213 hitter with 21 long balls, 91 runs driven in and 42 stolen bases.

Mazeika, on the other hand, has had just two years of major league experience, making his debut in 2021. In just 159 plate appearances with the Mets, he's hit .190 with two homers and 12 RBIs. 

A catcher by trade, Mazeika, 29, was designated for assignment by the Mets in August, when he was picked up by the San Francisco Giants. He would never spend anytime with their big league team though, as he was again DFA'd before electing free agency at the end of the season. 

He was selected by the Mets in the eighth round of the 2015 MLB Draft. He had initially been called up a number of times in the shortened 2020 season, but never saw playing time. 

Mets fans remember Mazeika for the unlikely feat he accomplished to start his big league career, driving in two different game-winning RBIs in separate games before actually securing his first hit.