Report: Dodgers agree to four-year deal with P Brandon McCarthy

The Los Angeles Dodgers are close to reaching a four-year deal with free agent starting pitcher Brandon McCarthy. McCarthy finished last season with the New York Yankees after a July trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have agreed to a four-year deal with free agent starting pitcher Brandon McCarthy, Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal reported Wednesday. The deal is worth $48 million.

Source: McCarthy four years, $48M with #Dodgers.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 11, 2014

McCarthy finished last season with the New York Yankees after a July trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks. After struggling with Arizona in 2013 and the first half of '14, recording a combined 4.75 ERA, McCarthy was much improved with the Yankees, helping reinforce a rotation beset by injuries.

The 31-year-old went 7-5 with a 2.89 ERA in 14 starts with New York, striking out 82 hitters and walking just 13 in 90 1/3 innings.

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Before joining the Diamondbacks, McCarthy spent the two previous seasons with the Oakland A's, recording a 3.29 ERA in 43 starts. He has also played for the Texas Rangers and Chicago White Sox.

McCarthy has struggled with persistent shoulder injuries in the past, which forced him to miss the entire 2010 season and parts of several other seasons, including in 2012 and '13.

Also in 2012, McCarthy was hit in the head by a line drive in a September game against the Los Angeles Angels, resulting in a fractured skull, a brain contusion and an epidural hemorrhage. After undergoing surgery to relieve pressure in his skull, McCarthy recovered fully, though he did have a seizure in 2013 that was related to the incident.

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The reported signing capped off an active day for the Dodgers at baseball's winter meetings. Earlier in the day, Los Angeles was reportedly close to a deal to acquire shortstop Jimmy Rollins from the Philadelphia Phillies and reportedly traded second baseman Dee Gordon to the Miami Marlins in a six-player deal. The Dodgers also agreed to a deal with the Angels' Howie Kendrick.

The Dodgers went 94-68 last season and won the National League West for the second straight year. They were eliminated in the NLDS by the St. Louis Cardinals.

- Ben Estes