The Dodgers introduced a commerce sending reliever Ryan Brasier and money concerns to the Cubs in alternate for a participant to be named later or money. Los Angeles had designated the veteran righty for project on Thursday once they finalized the Kirby Yates signing. Groups have 5 days following a DFA to commerce a participant, so the Dodgers wanted to discover a deal by tonight or put Brasier on waivers. Chicago designated Rob Zastryzny for project in a corresponding 40-man roster transfer.
Brasier is kind of a bit higher than most gamers who find yourself in DFA limbo. The veteran righty had a robust season and a half in Los Angeles. He signed a minor league deal halfway by the 2023 season after being let go by the Crimson Sox. Brasier had a dominant end, handing over a 0.70 earned run common throughout 38 2/3 innings with Los Angeles. The Dodgers retained him on a two-year, $9MM free agent contract.
The 37-year-old was by no means going to copy his late-season ’23 numbers. He had one other first rate 12 months when wholesome, working to a 3.54 ERA with a league common 22.7% strikeout proportion. Brasier saved his stroll fee to a tidy 4.5% clip, largely as a result of he obtained opponents to chase 40% of pitches off the plate.
Well being was the largest caveat. Brasier suffered a big pressure of his proper calf in late April. He was shelved into the center of August and restricted to twenty-eight innings on the season. He had a superb second half however was however relegated to low-leverage appearances throughout L.A.’s World Collection run. Brasier allowed 5 runs with seven strikeouts and three walks throughout 9 playoff innings.
The DFA is much less a mirrored image of Brasier of “shedding” his job and rather more about L.A.’s bullpen depth. They added Tanner Scott and Yates after re-signing Blake Treinen. They be part of Michael Kopech, Evan Phillips and Alex Vesia as bullpen locks. The Dodgers are going to run a six-man rotation, that means they’ll solely dedicate seven roster spots to relievers.
Brasier has effectively over 5 years of main league service. He can’t be despatched to the minor leagues with out his consent. The Dodgers may return to an eight-man bullpen as soon as Shohei Ohtani returns to the rotation, since Ohtani doesn’t rely in opposition to their 13-pitcher restrict as a two-way participant. They’re not going to push Ohtani’s elbow rehab merely to get one other bullpen spot, so there’s most likely just one accessible if all their relievers are wholesome popping out of camp. Anthony Banda is out of choices and appears more likely to seize the ultimate aid job.
The Cubs don’t have a ton of roster flexibility with their bullpen both. Chicago acquired Ryan Pressly final week. He’ll shut video games. Brasier joins Porter Hodge and Tyson Miller as high-leverage righties in entrance of Pressly. The Cubs added Caleb Thielbar on a $2.75MM free agent deal earlier within the winter; he initiatives as their prime left-hander. Colin Rea might be ticketed for lengthy aid work.
That’d account for six of eight ’pen slots if everybody’s wholesome. Eli Morgan and Nate Pearson could also be subsequent on the depth chart, however they each have a minor league choice remaining. That isn’t the case for Julian Merryweather or Keegan Thompson. They’d every should be within the majors or be designated for project. Thompson’s swing-and-miss potential most likely provides him a leg up.
Brasier will make $4.5MM for the upcoming season. He’ll be a free agent at 12 months’s finish. It’s unclear how a lot of that the Dodgers are paying down. The Dodgers will save 110% in taxes on no matter cash they managed to dump. If the Cubs had taken on the whole wage, that will have pushed them to round $211MM in luxurious tax obligations (courtesy of RosterResource). They’re greater than $30MM shy of the bottom threshold.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan first reported the Cubs have been buying Brasier. Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic first talked about the Dodgers receiving money concerns. Maddie Lee of the Chicago Solar-Instances reported the return as a participant to be named later or money.
Picture courtesy of Imagn.
