It’s been a busy week for the Los Angeles Dodgers as they just wrapped up their community tour and multiple charity events.
2024 Spring Training is now just days away, but in the meantime, the Dodgers continue to work on upgrading their roster.
Early Monday morning, it was reported the Dodgers traded Caleb Ferguson to the New York Yankees.
Shortly after that news broke, the team reached a two-year agreement with Ryan Brasier, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic:
Free-agent reliever Ryan Brasier in agreement with Dodgers on two-year, $9M contract. Chance to reach $13M total through incentives. First with agreement: @JonHeyman
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) February 5, 2024
Beginning the year with the Boston Red Sox, Braiser posted a 7.29 ERA and 1.57 WHIP in 21 innings pitched (20 games), leading to his release. The right-hander was allowing a high-rate of contact, giving up 10.29 hits per nine innings.
He then joined the Dodgers after being released and began making some changes suggested to him by the team, which allowed him to take off after that.
The addition of a cutter allowed Brasier to unlock a new version of himself, going on to post a 0.70 ERA, 0.72 WHIP and .136 batting average allowed in 38.2 innings pitched following the change in organizations.
Notably, Brasier limited left-handed hitters to a .123/.167/.211 slash with just one home run in 17 innings pitched. He tallied a 9.5 strikeouts per nine, with a 0.59 WHIP.
That made him a trusted arm in the Dodgers bullpen as he worked his way into a setup role, getting key outs against both lefties and righties.
Even though multiple teams were interested in Brasier, he ultimately stays in the place he found his most success.
Dodgers bullpen with Ryan Brasier
With Ferguson out and Brasier in, the Dodgers only have two left-handed relievers on their 40-man roster with Alex Vesia and Ryan Yarbrough.
However, many of their arms have neutral splits, and in the case of Brasier, reverse splits, meaning they can don’t necessarily need another left-hander.
In addition to those names, the Dodgers also have Evan Phillips, Brusdar Graterol, Blake Treinen, J.P. Feyereisen, Michael Grove, Joe Kelly, Gus Varland, Ricky Vanasco and Daniel Hudson among those in the mix for a spot.
Make sure to follow Dodger Blue on Instagram! It’s the best way to see exclusive coverage from games and events, get your questions answered, and more!
