On Friday, the Los Angeles Dodgers designated Anthony Banda for assignment, opening a spot on the 40-man roster for Ben Rortvedt, who was claimed off waivers.
The move took Banda off the 40-man roster, and it started a clock giving the Dodgers seven days to either trade him or place him on outright or unconditional release waivers.
If Banda were to be placed on outright waivers and claimed, he would be immediately added to that team’s 40-man roster. If he cleared waivers, Banda could elect to become a free agent or stick in the organization by going to the Minor Leagues.
However, the expectation is that the Dodgers will be able to find a trade for Banda, given his ability and cheap cost for an MLB reliever, according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic:
Banda is expected to have an interesting trade market, with quality left-handed relievers being hard to come by – much less at his $1.625 million price tag.
Banda has been with the Dodgers since they acquired him in a trade with the Cleveland Guardians on May 17, 2024. He joined the roster two days later and quickly became one of the most effective relievers on the club.
Banda finished the season throwing 49.2 innings with a 3.08 ERA, 23.9% strikeout rate and 8.6% walk rate while helping the Dodgers win the 2024 World Series as one of the “Bullpen Dogs.”
The fan-favorite continued to play an important role in the 2025 season, leading the club with 71 appearances out of the bullpen. However, he saw some regression with a FIP that rose by nearly one run from 3.67 to 4.52, a strikeout rate that dropped by 1%, and a walk rate that increased by 4%.
Banda continued to be highly effective against left-handed hitters, holding them to a .153 average and .496 OPS, but right-handers did damage against him, batting .229 with a .773 OPS.
He was overtaken on the depth chart by Justin Wrobleski and Jack Dreyer, while the club also had Tanner Scott and Alex Vesia as high-leverage lefties they relied on more often.
Entering the offseason, the Dodgers also added Ronan Kopp to their 40-man roster, another left-handed reliever.
With Banda being out of options, the Dodgers would have needed to carry him on the 26-man roster for the season, and that would have forced them into keeping five lefties in their bullpen.
The two-time World Series champion should now get a chance to catch on with another club and earn high-leverage opportunities for them.
He finished his tenure with the Dodgers posting a 3.14 ERA in 114.2 innings.
Dodgers signed Anthony Banda to one-year contract
Earlier in the offseason, the Dodgers and Banda agreed to a one-year contract worth $1.625 million to avoid arbitration. Banda has one more year of team control before he is eligible to become a free agent.
If Banda is claimed off waivers, the claiming team would be responsible for the full amount. If he is traded, the Dodgers could eat some of that salary, but given the low cost, that’s unlikely to happen.
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