The Los Angeles Dodgers have not stopped adding talent this offseason, but that comes with a few champagne problems. While there is no shortage of stars on the roster, the Dodgers don’t have enough room for all the new additions.
The Dodgers need to clear a spot for incoming reliever Kirby Yates, signifying a trade could be imminent.
One potential trade candidate is Ryan Brasier, who was reportedly already being shopped by the Dodgers a few weeks ago. Brasier is owed $4.5 million this season and enters his final year of team control.
Brasier, 37, joined the Dodgers in the middle of the 2023 season. He dealt with multiple injuries last season, appearing in just 29 games, but produced a 3.54 ERA in 2024.
Brasier would be a valuable asset to any team’s bullpen. Newsweek Sports’ Drew VonScio predicts the Dodgers reliever will end up with a hated rival in the Houston Astros.
The trade would send Brasier to Houston in exchange for right-hander Miguel Ullola, who was the Astros’ No. 8 prospect in 2024, and cash considerations.
Ullola posted a 4.24 ERA in 27 appearances for Double-A Corpus Christi in 2024. He also made one appearance in Triple-A, where he could very well begin the season pending a strong performance in spring training.
“Brasier would immediately slot in toward the back end of the bullpen along with Josh Hader and Bryan Abreu,” Vonscio wrote. “If the Astros do trade for Brasier, it would make sense for them to try and extend him while he is under team control before he enters free agency in 2026. Otherwise, they will be in this same spot this time next year.”
VonScio also mentions an interesting statistic from Brasier, making the case of why the veteran is such a strong back end arm in the bullpen.
“Posting a 5:1 K/BB ratio is among the best of the best for relievers,” VonScio wrote. “While unqualified due to a lack of innings, Baseball Savant shows his low walk rate is among the highest in baseball.”