Rationalizing the Ryan Brasier decision in the crowded Dodgers bullpen

New York Times

31-01-2025

LOS ANGELES – The 2013 Durham Bulls featured a former No. 1 overall selection and a future American League Rookie of the Year. It's a ridiculous Baseball Reference page and a feather in the cap of Tampa Bay Rays then-executive Andrew Friedman in his penultimate year before leaving to run baseball operations for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
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Twelve years later, Friedman has crafted a goliath, with another member of that 2013 Bulls roster working under him as his general manager. On Friday, that general manager, Brandon Gomes, was on hand to introduce his former teammate, Kirby Yates, who had signed a one-year, $13 million deal with the reigning World Series champions. It was the feather in the cap of an offseason where the Dodgers again captured the conversation.
For Yates, it was full circle.
'He taught me a lot,' Yates said of Gomes. 'We had a lot of fun, and he was an awesome teammate.'
'This one,' Gomes said, 'is especially fun for me.'
The Dodgers and the veteran reliever had circled each other for years before finally putting pen to paper this week. For Yates, it's a hope to correct a career trend: Of the 412 1/3 innings he's thrown in the majors, just one has come in the postseason. Thrice now in four years, Yates has signed with a reigning World Series champion. The 2022 Atlanta Braves crashed out in the NLDS. Last year's Texas Rangers didn't even make the postseason, despite Yates enjoying a stellar year (a 1.17 ERA in 61 appearances).
Now, Yates joins a bullpen that ran into an anomalous problem: having seemingly too many good options on paper to fit onto an actual Opening Day roster. Even when factoring in Brusdar Graterol's injury, the Dodgers had an odd man out from what will be a seven-man bullpen to start the season.
Just 12 months ago, the Dodgers signed Ryan Brasier to a two-year, $9 million deal that represented just the eighth multiyear free-agent contract that Friedman has ever given to a reliever. Thursday, he was designated for assignment, the reliever eliminated from a crowded picture.
'It's a good thing when your roster is that talented,' Gomes said. 'But it obviously creates difficult decisions.'
The Dodgers' Opening Day bullpen is set, barring injury. Blake Treinen just re-signed on a two-year, $22 million deal. Tanner Scott got four years and $72 million, the second-largest outlay Friedman has ever given a reliever. Evan Phillips, Michael Kopech and Alex Vesia (the only reliever of this bunch with a minor-league option year left) are locks. Anthony Banda doesn't have any minor league options and was a potent left-handed option last year.
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'I mean, on paper, it's probably as good as you can get, really,' Yates said.
That left Brasier — who is owed $4.5 million this year, plus incentives — as the one getting cut. Brasier remained every bit of an effective reliever a year ago, trusted enough to start multiple bullpen games last October and putting together a 3.54 ERA (with better underlying numbers) in 29 appearances despite missing months with a calf strain. At the price, he still appeared to be a relative bargain.
The Dodgers could have looked elsewhere to clear a 40-man roster spot and simply kicked the can on a decision until spring, when injuries (with Los Angeles or elsewhere) could've provided a more clear-cut need for Brasier. A seven-man Opening Day bullpen will expand to eight whenever Shohei Ohtani joins the rotation.
Instead, they cut Brasier now rather than sacrifice an optionable reliever and flexibility in the future.
'We would've needed a roster spot in some way, shape or form,' Gomes said.
The Dodgers had reportedly been shopping Brasier as they finalized a deal with Yates, and can continue to do so over the next handful of days. It would certainly behoove the Dodgers to find a trade partner or someone who would claim the last year of Brasier's deal; after all, they are far enough over the competitive balance tax threshold that they will have to pay a 110 percent overage in addition to Brasier's $4.5 million.
Brasier's recent production would make him a strong fit for a contender. But at least one rival evaluator was skeptical of the Dodgers' ability to find a trade partner, particularly when clubs could conceivably wait until he's released and sign him for the league minimum. The relief market has moved in recent days, with Scott and Yates coming off the board along with others such as Carlos Estévez and Tommy Kahnle. Others remain unsigned, such as former Dodger Kenley Jansen and veteran closer David Robertson.