Headlines

  • Shohei Ohtani Undergoes Elbow Surgery
  • Marlins Claim Matt Moore From Guardians
  • Rays To Announce New Stadium Deal
  • Reds Designate Hunter Renfroe For Assignment
  • Shohei Ohtani Out For Season With Oblique Strain
  • Marcus Stroman To Pitch Out Of Bullpen
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

MLB Trade Rumors

  • Home
  • Teams
    • AL East
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Yankees
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
    • AL Central
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Guardians
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Minnesota Twins
    • AL West
      • Houston Astros
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Oakland Athletics
      • Seattle Mariners
      • Texas Rangers
    • NL East
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Miami Marlins
      • New York Mets
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • Washington Nationals
    • NL Central
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • St. Louis Cardinals
    • NL West
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • San Diego Padres
      • San Francisco Giants
  • About
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Tim Dierkes
    • Writing team
    • Advertise
    • Archives
  • Contact
  • Tools
    • 2023-24 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2024-25 MLB Free Agent List
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Arbitration Tracker
    • Agency Database
  • NBA/NFL/NHL
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • App
  • Chats
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Dodgers Sign Ryan Brasier To Minor League Deal

By Steve Adams | June 5, 2023 at 8:20am CDT

The Dodgers have signed former Red Sox righty Ryan Brasier to a minor league contract, Brasier himself confirmed to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. Boston designated the struggling right-hander for assignment in mid-May and released him a week later. He’ll give the Dodgers some experienced bullpen depth in the upper minors.

Brasier, 35, was a vital member of the Boston bullpen during the Sox’ 2018 World Series campaign, returning from a solid stint in Japan to pitch 33 2/3 innings of 1.60 ERA relief. He added another 8 2/3 frames of one-run ball in the postseason, effectively solidifying his place in the Boston bullpen for the foreseeable future.

It’s been a roller-coaster ride for Brasier in Beantown since, however, with more lowlights than highlights. In 176 innings dating back to the 2019 season, the right-hander has worked to an unsightly 5.11 ERA. That’s skewed by particularly rough showings in 2021-22 (6.16 ERA in 83 1/3 innings), which ultimately led to last month’s dismissal.

Recent struggles notwithstanding, Brasier averages nearly 96 mph on his fastball and showed a strong 24.3% strikeout rate and 4.9% walk rate as recently as last season. He continued to post above-average swinging-strike and opponents’ chase rates through the 2022 season. Most of those numbers dipped below the league average in 2023, though Brasier at least kept the ball in the yard at a better-than-average rate during this year’s 21 frames (albeit with concerning exit velocity and hard-contact numbers).

There’s little harm in the Dodgers taking a low-cost flier on the veteran righty, even with this year’s alarming numbers. The Red Sox are paying the remainder of Brasier’s $2MM salary, so all the Dodgers would owe him is the prorated league minimum for any time spent on the MLB roster. Even that’s not a given, as he’s likely headed to Triple-A Oklahoma City for the time being.

The Dodgers are, as usual, a force to be reckoned with in the National League West, sitting on a 35-25 record that puts them in a first-place tie with the upstart D-backs.  If there’s one particularly notable flaw in L.A., it’s the bullpen. Dodgers relievers have combined for a 4.64 earned run average this season — the fifth-worst mark in Major League Baseball. They’ve gotten strong efforts from Evan Phillips, Brusdar Graterol and Caleb Ferguson thus far, and Shelby Miller has produced a resurgent 2.77 ERA as well (though with a 16.2% walk rate and .121 BABIP, making him a clear regression candidate). The rest of the relief corps has posted inconsistent or simply poor results, however, so it’s not a surprise to see the Dodgers taking a look at a veteran with some track record in a high-pressure, big-market situation.

Share 0 Retweet 24 Send via email0

Los Angeles Dodgers Transactions Ryan Brasier

The Opener: Abbott, Cortes, Lowe
Main
MLB Hires Albert Pujols As Special Assistant
View Comments (13)

Comments

  1. FenwayFanatic

    4 months ago

    YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Reply
  2. CALgoldenBears

    4 months ago

    Is Farhan back with the Dodgers to dumpster dive?

    Reply
  3. Dorothy_Mantooth

    4 months ago

    Watch Brasier get called up and pitch lights out for the Dodgers! He can join Eovaldi, Wacha & JDM as former BOS players dominating so far this year.

    3
    Reply
    • lamars

      4 months ago

      Say what now? Of the players you mention only Eovaldi is dominating so far this year. JDM looks to have rebounded this season, Wacha looks like he did with the Red Sox and Brasier has been straight garbage.

      Reply
  4. Rocker49

    4 months ago

    Welcome to Los Karens

    Reply
  5. BigFred

    4 months ago

    Can’t be much worse than Phil Bickford.

    1
    Reply
    • dodgerskingsfan

      4 months ago

      Or even Almonte. My God watching almonte and bickford pitch this year I ve started to grow gray hairs. Oofa

      1
      Reply
    • AverageCommenter

      4 months ago

      Trust me, it can. Braiser does this thing where he looks amazing for a stretch, then gives up two runs a game for another

      1
      Reply
    • BlueSkies_LA

      4 months ago

      Bickford is a thrower not a pitcher. Just watching his follow-through alone has always given me indigestion. Even when he gets results you get the feeling that it can’t last, and it hasn’t lasted.

      Reply
  6. deweybelongsinthehall

    4 months ago

    From bringing up a huge chip like Bobby Miller to inking Brasier …

    1
    Reply
  7. abcrazy4dodgers

    4 months ago

    Babyneck for the win!

    Reply
  8. olmtiant

    4 months ago

    Oh great!!! Now we have to contend with my pal Brais in this year’s WS!!! I can see it now… game 7 down one bags loaded( like I am now) Brais vs Bobby Dalbec!!! A titanic moment in sports history!!!! Good for you Brais!!!

    Reply
  9. Rsox

    4 months ago

    At least he didn’t sign with the Rays

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Please login to leave a reply.

Log in Register

ad: 300x250_1_MLB

    Top Stories

    Shohei Ohtani Undergoes Elbow Surgery

    Marlins Claim Matt Moore From Guardians

    Rays To Announce New Stadium Deal

    Reds Designate Hunter Renfroe For Assignment

    Shohei Ohtani Out For Season With Oblique Strain

    Marcus Stroman To Pitch Out Of Bullpen

    Red Sox Fire Chaim Bloom

    Orioles Select Heston Kjerstad

    Jasson Dominguez To Undergo UCL Surgery

    Max Scherzer Unlikely To Return This Year Due To Teres Major Strain

    Ryan Mountcastle Being Evaluated For Shoulder Issue, Heston Kjerstad Promotion Possible

    Nationals Agree To Multi-Year Extension With Mike Rizzo

    Mets Reach Agreement To Hire David Stearns As President Of Baseball Operations

    Orioles Activate John Means

    Cubs To Promote Pete Crow-Armstrong

    Jasson Dominguez To Undergo Surgery To Repair UCL Tear

    Rockies Extend Germán Márquez

    Rangers Promote Evan Carter, Place Adolis García On IL

    Walker Buehler Won’t Return This Year

    D-Backs Promote Jordan Lawlar

    Recent

    Riley Greene Undergoes Tommy John Surgery

    Tigers Select Brenan Hanifee

    Jasson Dominguez Undergoes Tommy John Surgery

    Brewers Place Elvis Peguero On Injured List

    Brewers’ J.C. Mejía Given 162-Game Suspension After Positive PED Test

    Cardinals Place Alec Burleson On Injured List With Thumb Fracture

    Blue Jays Select Cam Eden, Designate Mason McCoy For Assignment

    Marlins Designate Chi Chi González For Assignment

    Sean Newcomb Undergoes Knee Surgery

    Giants Place Alex Cobb, Keaton Winn On Injured List

    ad: 300x250_5_side_mlb

    MLBTR Newsletter - Hot stove highlights in your inbox, five days a week

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • Shohei Ohtani Rumors
    Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android

    MLBTR Features

    MLBTR Features

    • Go Ad-Free
    • 2023-24 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2024-25 MLB Free Agent List
    • MLB Player Chats
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • MLBTR On Twitter
    • MLBTR On Facebook
    • Team Facebook Pages
    • How To Set Up Notifications For Breaking News
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors

    Rumors By Team

    • Angels Rumors
    • Astros Rumors
    • Athletics Rumors
    • Blue Jays Rumors
    • Braves Rumors
    • Brewers Rumors
    • Cardinals Rumors
    • Cubs Rumors
    • Diamondbacks Rumors
    • Dodgers Rumors
    • Giants Rumors
    • Guardians Rumors
    • Mariners Rumors
    • Marlins Rumors
    • Mets Rumors
    • Nationals Rumors
    • Orioles Rumors
    • Padres Rumors
    • Phillies Rumors
    • Pirates Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Rays Rumors
    • Red Sox Rumors
    • Reds Rumors
    • Rockies Rumors
    • Royals Rumors
    • Tigers Rumors
    • Twins Rumors
    • White Sox Rumors
    • Yankees Rumors

    ad: 160x600_MLB

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives
    • Feeds by Team

    MLBTR INFO

    • Advertise
    • About
    • Commenting Policy
    • Privacy Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

    hide arrowsFOX Sports Engage Network scroll to top

    Register

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version