As the Los Angeles Dodgers reached agreements to avoid arbitration with eligible players at the January 11 deadline, they additionally cleared space on their 40-man roster by trading Yency Almonte and Michael Busch to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for prospects Jackson Ferris and Zyhir Hope.
The trade created two spots for the signing of Teoscar Hernández and a future addition. That’s notable as the Dodgers have been searching for pitching help, both in the bullpen and rotation.
Shortly after the trade, Almonte posted on X (formerly Twitter) to thank Dodgers fans for their support over the last two years and express his gratitude for getting an opportunity to pitch at Dodger Stadium.
Thank you Dodger fans for welcoming me to the team and sticking with me through the good and the bad these past 2 seasons. You fans are truly amazing and fun to play in front of! My family and I are grateful to have experienced playing at Dodger stadium.
— Yency Almonte (@showtimealmonte) January 11, 2024
Coming off a breakout year in 2022, Almonte dealt with inconsistency this past season and also suffered an MCL sprain in his right knee that prevented him from pitching after August 11.
Almonte went 3-2 with a 5.06 ERA, 4.59 FIP, 1.40 WHIP and 9.2 strikeouts per nine in 48 innings pitched across a career-high 49 appearances.
Almonte viewed last year as a learning experience and had expressed his excitement for the 2024 season. The right-hander was among the Dodgers’ arbitration-eligible players, but he avoided the process by signing a one-year contract this past November.
Yency Almonte’s career with Dodgers
Almonte originally signed with the Dodgers as a Minor League free agent on March 16, 2022. He went on to post a minuscule 1.02 ERA in 35.1 innings in his first season with the team.
Almonte has pitched in parts of six MLB seasons with the Colorado Rockies (2018-2021) and Dodgers (2022-2023), going a combined 7-6 with a 4.51 ERA in 196 games.
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