Over the last two seasons, Dodgers fans have learned not to underestimate any minor-league signing or small-time trade, no matter how irrelevant they might seem at first glance. With how ineffective and/or injured the Dodgers' bullpen has been, LA has had to exhaust every option. Guys like Matt Sauer or Will Klein or Noah Davis or Yoendrys Gómez or Chris Stratton probably wouldn't have gotten innings on a team with a functional bullpen, but they got some with the Dodgers.
The Dodgers already made a small trade with the Mariners for minor league pitcher Tyler Gough, and they've thrown a signing on top of it for more depth.