Former Angels pitcher turned 2x World Series champion placed on Dodgers' trade block

For every addition a team makes, there is a corresponding subtraction from the roster. For a team like the Los Angeles Dodgers -- who can supply a seemingly infinite amount of money to a large demand of players who want to play for them -- they must make hard choices when assembling their superteam. It appears that one of the hard choices will be to trade away Ryan Brasier, as they must clear a 40-man and major league roster spot to make room for Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates. In what will be a glorified waiver claim, teams who desire Brasier's services will offer either cash considerations or a relatively unimportant prospect.

The Dodgers have a surplus of arms to choose from when assembling their rotation and bullpen next season. They will use a six-man rotation with Shohei Ohtani re-entering the pitching fray in 2025, and in theory they could comfortably send several former starters to the bullpen instead of selling low in a trade (see: Bobby Miller, Dustin May, River Ryan, Emmet Sheehan). By doing so, their current relievers like Brasier are expendable. Despite respectable results, Brasier only threw 28 innings for LAD in 2024 and is 37-years-old.

Brasier is in the midst of an unusual career full of highs and lows. Drafted by the Angels in 2007, Brasier made his MLB debut with the Halos as a 25-year-old in 2013. He only pitched 9 innings that season, and then would not pitch at the big league level again until his age-30 season in 2018 with the Boston Red Sox. The season after his MLB debut, 2014, Brasier did not pitch at all. From 2015-2016, he pitched exclusively at AAA after he picked up with the Oakland A's organization as a minor league free agent.

Brasier proved himself to be a major league asset while overseas in 2017, honing his gigantic velocity and stuff while pitching in Japan. When he joined the Red Sox the following season, he became an integral part of a World Series winning team. He spent the next 4.5 seasons in Boston, but was DFA'd, released, then signed to a minor league deal with the Dodgers in 2023. He found his way back to the bigs once more, just in time to turn in the best stretch of his career (38.2 innings pitched, 38 strikeouts, 10 walks, 1 home run allowed, 2.48 FIP, 3.47 xFIP, 0.70 ERA).

Perhaps Ryan Brasier's wild ride of a career ends with him returning to where it all began?

Why not just add Brasier for a lower level prospect if you're the Angels? He would immediately reclaim a back-end bullpen role, whereas last season he was used predominantly as an opener, in middle relief, and in mop-up duty. While he would not be competing for a title with the Angels, at least he could build his trade value back up with the Angels if he proved himself as a reliable set-up man once again. He still pumps mid-90s heaters, fills the zone up with strikes, generates a ton of chases outside the zone, would only be two years removed from the second best season of his career, and would barely cost the Angels anything. Throw the Angels a bone, Dodgers! Keep Brasier in Los Angeles!

The Angels already profited somewhat off of the Dodgers' myriad roster additions this offseason when they added Connor Brogdon to a minor league deal. They also added another former Dodgers reliever in Victor González.

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