Cody Snavely
With the Los Angeles Dodgers officially signing veteran right-handed relief pitcher Kirby Yates to a one-year $13 million contract, the Dodgers needed to make space on the 40-man roster. The odd man out was fellow right-hander Ryan Brasier, who was DFA’d.
With the DFA, the Dodgers had ten days to release or trade the 37-year-old righty. As reported by Major League Baseball insider Jeff Passan of ESPN, the Chicago Cubs were the team to acquire the veteran via trade.
The Dodgers also made the deal official, and the club would receive cash considerations in return.
After being DFA’d by the Boston Red Sox during the 2023 regular season, the Dodgers took a chance on Brasier and reaped the reward as the righty pitched to a 0.70 ERA for the Blue Crew.
Brasier’s efforts earned him a 2-year, $9 million contract with the Dodgers, who re-signed the veteran righty last winter. However, a calf injury and multiple inconsistencies throughout the regular season led to regression.
Brasier pitched to a respectable 3.54 ERA last season in his time played but had that ERA balloon to 5.00 in the postseason, becoming one of Los Angeles’s less dependable arms.
Overall, Braiser was one of the Dodgers’ best arms the last two seasons, with a combined ERA of just over one in Dodger Blue, making the move all the more shocking around the league.
With the trade, the Dodgers will also be off the hook for Brasier’s remaining $4.5 million salary for the 2025 season, and the Cubs will get another valuable arm in the backend of their bullpen, which also includes former Houston Astros closer Ryan Pressly.
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