Jones goes Hollywood, signs with Dodgers

     It didn’t take long for Pendleton County native Nate Jones to find a new home in continuing his big league pitching career. The veteran righthander was signed by the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers on May 14.
    Jones will be assigned to the Dodgers Triple-A affiliate Oklahoma City Dodgers and will have to work his way back to the majors. The bullpen for the Los Angeles Dodgers has been stricken by injuries to begin the 2021 season hence their need to scan the free agent pool to find help.
    “I was appreciative of the time I got to spend in the Atlanta Braves organization. Obviously no one likes to be DFA’d or released but that’s the business part of the game. I got to meet new coaches and teammates and watch how they prepare for and play the game. I’m definitely thankful for the people I met there and the opportunity to have played baseball with the Atlanta Braves. But, as always, we have to keep moving forward and with that being said I’m equally excited about playing for a franchise with as much history as the Los Angeles Dodgers. They are reigning World Series Champions so it’ll be fun to hear and learn what it took to win that title,” Jones said in reflecting on his time in Atlanta while also looking ahead to his new opportunity.
  The Dodgers now become the fifth big league organization that Jones has been a member of since debuting in 2012 for the Chicago White Sox. Jones was a member of the Texas Rangers in 2019 but never pitched for them as he was still recovering from an injury. Last year, he joined the Cincinnati Reds where he lasted until August 2020 when he was released. This past offseason he agreed to a minor league deal with the Atlanta Braves and appeared in 12 games.