It seems like it happens almost every winter. This time around, it just happened a little bit later. The Dodgers go shopping and sign a couple of scrappy veteran players to come in and join what is projected to be an otherwise crowded spring camp.
Ned Colletti was notorious for this. The winter of 2010-11 comes to mind in particular, when the former GM went on a spree in an attempt to re-invent the relief corps, signing a group of veterans that were either unrecognized or weary from many years of service. A few of the players in the haul included Matt Guerrier, Merkin Valdez, Roman Colon, Ron Mahay, Jon Huber, Oscar Villarreal and Mike MacDougal.