The Dodgers made a flurry of waiver claims over the past week, first by reclaiming outfielder Michael Siani from the New York Yankees while designating recent signee Andy Ibañez for assignment.
The Dodgers then brought back catcher Ben Rortvedt off waivers from the Cincinnati Reds, and in doing so, they made the tough decision to designate Anthony Banda for assignment. Banda had been a fixture within the Dodgers bullpen over the past two seasons, posting a combined 3.14 ERA across 114 2/3 innings while pitching 30 percent better than league average per ERA+.
With the Dodgers having a plethora of left-handed relief options paired with the fact that Banda no longer has any available minor league options, the expectation is that Banda will be traded by Friday, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Ardaya notes that Banda should have a respectable amount of interest, considering the scarcity of left-handed bullpen options still available on the open market.
Now, the team will look to see if it can fetch anything for Banda via trade… Banda is expected to have an interesting trade market, with quality left-handed relievers being hard to come by – much less at his $1.625 million price tag.
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The Dodgers continued shoring up their non-roster invitee group on by signing both right-handed pitcher Jordan Weems and catcher Seby Zavala to minor league deals. Weems has appeared in 144 career games across parts of six big league seasons, most recently posting a 14.54 ERA in just 4 1/3 innings with the Houston Astros last year. Zavala has played in 194 career games across parts of five seasons, having most recently appeared in 18 games with the Seattle Mariners in 2024.
The Dodgers outfield is now more fortified both offensively and defensively with the addition of All-Star Kyle Tucker, giving Teoscar Hernández the opportunity to return back to left field. Waiting in the distance are some of the Dodgers’ top prospects, which includes outfielders Josue de Paula and Zyhir Hope.
Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com aren’t ready to jump the gun on de Paula getting his first cup of coffee at the big league level this season, with Callis noting that the star talent is too heavy for the 20-year-old outfielder to get a legitimate shot.
Per Mayo: There’s no chance. I love Josue De Paula. I love the bat. I could see him being ahead of the timeline and being ready by, say, September.
Per Callis: The Dodgers’ lineup is just too loaded.
The salary cap/floor debate will be the one of the main talking points once the current CBA expires after the 2026 season, as the Dodgers seemingly “ruin” baseball with the amount of spending they’ve done over the last three offseasons. Just because there is a salary cap doesn’t automatically give every other team a fair chance of being competitive.
Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times takes a look at the Sacramento Kings and the NBA as a whole when discussing the need for a salary cap, as he notes that the quality of spending and managing outweighs the amount of capital they possess.
If you are a fan of a small-market baseball team, and you hear your owner say your team would win if only MLB had a salary cap, our friends in Sacramento would offer you three letters in response: LOL.
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