Wed Feb 05 01:40:00 UTC 2025: **Dodgers Trade Reliever Ryan Brasier to Cubs for Player to be Named Later**
**Chicago, IL – February 4, 2025** – The Los Angeles Dodgers have traded veteran reliever Ryan Brasier to the Chicago Cubs, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports. In return, the Dodgers will receive a player to be named later, according to Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times.
Brasier, 37, was designated for assignment by the Dodgers last week following the team’s signing of Kirby Yates. Despite the DFA, Brasier boasts a strong track record, including a stellar 0.70 ERA over 38 2/3 innings with Los Angeles in the latter half of the 2023 season. While his 2024 performance was hampered by a calf injury that limited him to 28 innings, he still maintained a respectable 3.54 ERA.
The trade, however, stems more from the Dodgers’ bullpen depth than Brasier’s declining performance. With the additions of Tanner Scott and Yates, plus existing strong relievers like Michael Kopech and Evan Phillips, the Dodgers have an abundance of bullpen talent. Their decision to run a six-man rotation further compresses the available roster spots for relievers. Brasier, having over five years of major league service time, cannot be optioned to the minors without his consent.
The Cubs, on the other hand, see Brasier as a valuable addition to their bullpen. He joins other high-leverage relievers, bolstering their pitching staff. Brasier’s $4.5 million salary for the upcoming season, before becoming a free agent at year’s end, will likely push the Cubs closer to the luxury tax threshold. It remains unclear whether the Dodgers are contributing any cash to the deal.
First Piper 