The Cincinnati Reds claimed Amed Rosario off waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers, who designated him for assignment last week in order to activate Mookie Betts off the 10-day injured list.
Rosario was DFA’d two weeks after joining the Dodgers in a trade that sent Minor League pitcher Michael Flynn to the Tampa Bay Rays.
Ryan Yarbrough was designated for assignment in order to make room for Rosario on the Dodgers’ 40-man roster. Yarbrough subsequently was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for Kevin Kiermaier.
Meanwhile, Rosario joined the Dodgers at the trade deadline for the second consecutive season. Last year the Dodgers traded Noah Syndergaard to the Cleveland Guardians in order to acquire the versatile infielder.
Both tenures with the Dodgers have now ended in relatively unceremonious fashion. Rosario was left off the Dodgers’ postseason roster for the National League Division Series in 2023, and now he was with the team for only a short time.
While Rosario played a prominent role last season, he appeared in just five games during what turned into a brief second stint with the Dodgers.
Rosario hit .273/.333/.364 with one double, two RBI and one walk during that span.
Amed Rosario DFA: understanding Dodgers’ decision
While the Dodgers have a roster crunch with multiple players returning from injury, and specifically the 60-day IL, ending Rosario’s time with the organization so quickly came as somewhat of a surprise.
“I’m sure he’s going to land somewhere. I told him he’s a championship-caliber baseball player. With our lineup construction, I just didn’t see a lot of runway for him,” manager Dave Roberts explained.
“When we get guys coming back, there’s going to be no left-handed starters, so we’re kind of in bed with the guys we have. So just giving him an opportunity to land somewhere and get some opportunities.”
Roberts had previously explained Rosario’s limited opportunities with the Dodgers were tied to the team viewing him as a platoon player.
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