In addition to the recent re-signings of several key players and a few new pitchers from around the league, the Dodgers just picked up two new faces from the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball (AA League).

First, from the Chicago Dogs, is 31-year-old left-hander Casey Crosby. Crosby was originally drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 5th round of the 2007 first-year player draft out of Kaneland High School in Maple Park, IL. He actually appeared in three major league games (all starts) with the Tigers in 2012, posting a 1-1 record and a 9.49 ERA in his combined 12.1 innings pitched. He spent considerable time with the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens before being released in 2014.

Crosby was then picked up in December of that year by the Boston Red Sox before being released the following April. After taking some time off from baseball, he returned with the Double-A Lincoln Saltdogs in 2017.

With the Saltdogs, Crosby made 16 appearances, all in relief, allowing only four runs on 11 hits, earning him a 2.16 ERA.

After his short stint with Lincoln, he was picked up by the Twins in 2018, where he was assigned to the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings, but after only a month, he was sent to the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts, a former Dodger affiliate. He also made a couple of trips to the Gulf Coast League on some rehab assignments.

Overall, Crosby posted a 1-2 record with one save over 14 games, starting four of them. He finished the year with a 2.95 ERA over 21.1 innings of work.

Crosby elected free agency at the end of the 2018 season and signed with the Lancaster Barnstormers of the independent Atlantic League. He appeared in six games for the Barnstormers, giving up just one hit and earning a save in his short time there. He also played for the Chicago Dogs in 2019, where he earned a 3-1 record over 40.2 innings, posting a very impressive 1.99 ERA over his 36 appearances, all in relief.

At 31-years old, Crosby’s signing by the Dodgers definitely falls in the low-risk/potentially high-reward category and he figures to receive an invitation to major league camp this spring.

The second Indy League addition by the Dodgers is 27-year-old right-hander Ricky Knapp, who was originally drafted by the New York Mets in the eighth round in 2013 out of Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers, FL. He remained in the Mets system through the 2018 season, getting as high Triple-A with the Las Vegas 51’s (now Aviators) of the Pacific Coast League.

In his time in the Mets organization, Knapp posted an overall record of 35-33 and an ERA of 3.88 over 123 games. Of those, he started 95 and threw eight complete games. (Now there’s a term you don’t hear very often these days). Knapp also recorded four saves in five opportunities. He walked just 154 batters while striking out 430 over 620 innings.

Knapp was released at the end of 2018 and signed with the Saltdogs for the 2019 season. With Lincoln, he had a 4-10 record and a 5.80 ERA over 20 games, 18 of which were starts. He earned a save in one of his two relief appearances.

Like Crosby, Knapp figures to receive a major-league invite and he, too, could prove to be a low-risk/potentially high-reward guy … or what we affectionately like to call ‘A Diamond in the Rough.’

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Editor’s Update:

As noted in the below comment by Alex Freedman, the voice of the Dodgers Triple-A affiliate Oklahoma City Dodgers, Ricky Knapp is the son of longtime Dodgers minor league pitching coordinator Rick Knapp, who is currently a pitching coach in the Tampa Bay Rays organization. Apologies for the oversight. No disrespected intended.

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