The Dodgers have acquired left-hander Ryan Yarbrough from the Royals, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand and Juan C. Toribio (Twitter link). Kansas City is receiving minor league infielders Devin Mann and Derlin Figueroa, Feinsand reports in a follow-up tweet.
While the Dodgers made bids for such high-profile pitchers as Justin Verlander and Eduardo Rodriguez prior to the deadline, they’ll still come away with some rotation help in Yarbrough, who has a 3.08 ERA over 38 innings and seven games as a starter for Kansas City this season. Of course, that also comes with a 7.62 ERA over 13 innings as a reliever, but Yarbrough has looked very sharp since he was moved into the K.C. rotation in April.
On-field performance has been a secondary story to Yarbrough’s 2023 season, as the southpaw suffered multiple facial fractures after being struck by a Ryan Noda line drive back on May 7. The injuries sent Yarbrough to the 60-day IL, but he thankfully returned in good health and has been in great form on the mound, with a 2.19 ERA over 24 2/3 innings since being activated off the injured list.
Yarbrough’s secondary metrics are the definition of a mixed bag. On the one hand, his 86.9% fastball velocity, fastball spin rate, and 13.7% strikeout rate are near the very bottom of the league. His 3.8% walk rate, however, is among the league’s elite, and he has done an excellent job of inducing soft contact. His 4.24 ERA is much lower than his 4.97 SIERA, which perhaps better reflects this curious set of Statcast numbers and the move from relief pitching to starting pitching.
The Dodgers have long had a knack for both helping pitchers find a new level of performance or helping them revive their careers altogether, so there’s plenty of promise for Yarbrough in this change of scenery. The left-hander is likely to get some more starts in an L.A. rotation that includes another new face in Lance Lynn, and the Dodgers now technically have seven healthy starting options in Lynn, Yarbrough, Tony Gonsolin, Julio Urias, and rookies Bobby Miller, Emmet Sheehan, and Michael Grove.
At least two of the youngsters will be moved to Triple-A or to the bullpen in the aftermath of the deadline, and once Clayton Kershaw returned from the 15-day injured list. Yarbrough could also work as a reliever himself, or in a swingman capacity as the situation warrants. He is quite familiar with such a role, both with the Royals this season and from his previous time as a starter, reliever, opener, and bulk pitcher with the Rays from 2018-22.
It’s a rental move for Los Angeles, as Yarbrough is a free agent after the season. He is still owed roughly $1.1MM as the remainder of his $3MM salary for the 2023 season, putting a bit of extra money on the ledger of a Dodgers team already well over the first luxury tax tier ($233MM). With much still to be settled in the wake of the deadline, Roster Resource projects the Dodgers as just narrowly under the $253MM second tier, and staying under that threshold would at least mean a slightly lesser financial penalty for the Dodgers as they pay into the tax for the third consecutive season.
With a one-year deal, Yarbrough was seen as a potential deadline trade chip from basically the moment he signed with the Royals, and Kansas City’s disastrous season only made a deal even more likely. The latest of K.C’s many swaps brings in two more prospects, including a player in Mann ranked by both Baseball America (24th) and MLB Pipeline (29th) within the top 30 of the Los Angeles farm system.
Mann was a fifth-round pick for the Dodgers in 2018, and might be ready for a big league look after hitting .307/.402/.541 with 14 homers over 386 plate appearances at the Triple-A level this season. While the hitter-friendly nature of the Pacific Coast League brings some pause to Mann’s numbers, the 26-year-old has hit pretty well over the course of his minor league career. “Mann is a well-rounded player who does a little bit of everything,” according to Baseball America’s scouting report, and his “bat and defensive versatility give him a chance to carve out a career as a lefty-mashing reserve.” Mann has played all four infield positions and left field this season, and he has logged some time in the other two outfield positions in past years.
The 19-year-old Figueroa was an international signing for L.A. in 2021, and he has hit .237/.372/.376 over 113 PA at the rookie ball level this season. While still very early in his pro career, Figueroa has at least shown a knack for getting on base, even if his overall hitting ability needs some polish. Like Mann, Figueroa is a multi-positional player — he has seen time at first base and both outfield corners this season, and played all the other infield positions in his first two seasons.
underrated move
Okay
Those Dodgers’ fans must be pissed off ad Eduardo.
Not really. The Eduardo move also has zero impact on the need for starting pitching, so not sure why you even bring it up here.
Because this is a Dodger related story. Says up there.
Trolling, I guess. The really pissed party has to be the Tigers front office.
It would’ve helped them to check with the player himself. He had ten West Coast teams on his no-trade list for a reason. His family’s on the East Coast and in Venezuela. It means more when you don’t have a full NTC if you put certain teams on it.
Gosh, I’m sure nobody thought of that.
I mean, the dumb ones might be
The rest of us are disappointed we didn’t get a talented player but understand these are humans with their own feelings and not just random number generators
YOU understand that, right?
Filihok – I agree with your take completely. That said, hard to imagine why Detroit didn’t have a back up trade in hand to a team not on the list so they could pivot before deadline.
You’re correct and thanks for making the point.
Actually would rather not have someone who didn’t want to be here. Would be more pissed if the Dodgers got dead arm Scherzer
I have always hated him, but I guess it feels exciting to see him pitch. I’ll eventually get over it. His K/BB ratio is one of the things I love about those types of pitchers.
Yankee Killer
Yankee killer? Yankees.
Disappointed they couldn’t do more, but Yarbrough is a solid arm to have around.
It looks like the Dodgers have decided to go for it this season. With all of this spending, will they have enough money for Ohtani?
Who says Ohtani’s going to the Dodgers? That’s his decision not some random fan on the internet
oh, I’m sure everyone thought it wasn’t Ohtani’s decision
Not our year this year, I guess
Wrong lefty, circle back! Never thought someone would choose to live/play in the city of Detroit over LA.
Just like every Dodger doesn’t live in LA, playing for Detroit, does not mean they have to live in Detroit. Most choose Oakland County, or the Grosse Points. Detroit is on an upswing and not the Detroit of 20-30 years ago.
If he has his wife and kids there. Going to live and play in LA and leaving his family in Detroit might present issues. .
Plan Y.
LOL struck out with every other player they wanted
I mean
They acquired 4 other players
Oh, if you liked the trade for Lynn, your going to love the trade for Yarborough.
The bigger joke is the one where you have better team vision and baseball knowhow than the Dodgers FO.
Please tell me he’s a bullpen piece and not a starter
Starter
Look at the numbers: very good as a starter this year, very bad as a reliever. Been especially good since coming off the IL.
What pitcher with an ERA over 8 or what one time prospect from 10 years ago did the Royals get in return?
His 5.1 Ks/9 this season is sure not exciting me.
Look beyond that. He throws 83 mph fastball but gets crazy soft contact. Not a guy who will blow you away but don’t be surprised at all if he ends up being an important piece for the dodgers down the stretch. Looks like a win-win trade to me.
His numbers overall not very impressive. Is he potentially a very small upgrade from some of the terrible bullpen options the Dodgers have had this season? Sure, but not a very impactful acquisition.
Friedman needs to lobby the league for a shortened season again. Sick and tired of this team playing a full season.
Yes!!!!!
Dig this move. Someone who throws 90 when he’s excited and gets outs at the big league level with regularity is good by me. The Dodgers still have their farm system intact and let’s roll.
Innings Eater.
Anyone know anything about the 2 prospects LA sent to KC?
Following
Devin Mann is a quad-A type. He’s put up decent numbers in the minors through AAA but nothing that stands out when park adjusted. He may figure it out like Luke Raley or he may be like the Dodgers previous quad-A types like Johnny Deluca, Cody Thomas, DJ Peters, Matt Beaty, Edwin Rios, Zack Reks, Ryan Noda, Zach McKinistry…..
Derlin Figueroa is a lottery ticket who just started playing stateside in the ACL.
Thanks
Well KC is quad-A, so that works.
Dodgers are going to have to score 10-12 runs per game come playoff time.
As a Dodger fan, let’s be realistic. The bottom of their lineup is brutal and with Austin Barnes stinking it up from time to time making it worse, this team is t winning anything in the post-season. Good to see KHernandez come in and hit right away, and Lynn/Yarbrough have got to be better than Grove or any other band aid they were using. 100% convinced they’re all in on Ohtani next season, Lux will be back…I’m a fan of Rosario and hope they keep him. The team will look way different again next season. I’ll take a non championship season this year if it means being one of the ones next season.
Oh, and Freddie Freeman is underpaid.
Spoiler alert: they won’t win this year or next. Also, why would Ohtani want to play there?
About as important to the Dodgers as the air freshener choice in the front office. Both blocked, one on the older side for prospects and another a coin flip for a legitimate 4th or 5th MLB starter.
The fact the bullpen wasn’t addressed is pretty disconcerting, but it’s gone and done now. Grab the gloves and let’s go.
“his 86.9% fastball velocity”
Confusing.
Eew. Rather have e rod
I like the addition on paper they needed something different in the bullpen. E-Rod was a risky contract/injury play. Was hoping for Flaherty, but tough trade market.
“Not a fan of Andrew Friedman”
-I mean, sure. You don’t have to be a “fan” of anyone. If you, though, are trying to suggest that he’s not the best at what he does, you’re going to be having an up hill battle.
“his trades for human waste”
-Sure. Bauer was a bad idea.
Yarbs still had a year of team control with the Royals. Was that voided in the trade?
I think you’re right and the article is wrong.
CORRECTION TO STORY: Yarborough is not a fee agent next year. He is eligible for arbitration next year. Not a free agent until 2025. Dodgers have him next year too.
Free prospects for KC. They did really well. A plus.
LA I’m sure you have a plan to improve but it took these guys? And both of them? Maybe it did but I might have just moved on to someone else unless you really can improve.