The Dodgers have reportedly signed 27 year-old free agent pitcher Dana Eveland to a minor league split contract. 

Eveland pitched for the Toronto Blue Jays and Pittsburgh Pirates last season. He was 3-5 with a 6.79 ERA in 12 games (10 starts).  For his career, Eveland has pitched 330.2 innings with a 5.74 ERA and a 16-22 record with stops in Milwaukee, Arizona, Oakland, Toronto and Pittsburgh.  And for the record, five teams in six years officially earns you the title of being a journeyman pitcher.

Plus, if Eveland does make the Dodgers, he replaces former reliever Justin Miller as one of the biggest fans of ink on the team.  Eveland apparently has his last name tattooed across his back.

As readers of this blog know, I really like signings like this.  It’s classic Ned Colletti strategy to invite a bunch of pitchers with question marks to Spring Training as it’s a cheap roll of the dice.  If Eveland performs well at Camelback Ranch, he could be the #5 starter or be a long reliever in the bullpen.  Maybe he ends up in Albuquerque or maybe he’s just released.  However it plays out, the Dodgers will have a relatively young arm in camp that could provide dividends in 2011 for pitching coach Rick Honeycutt without much of a financial investment.

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