Thursday was a busy day for the Dodgers with the wage arbitration commerce deadline looming. But it surely was additionally a day to clear some room on the 40-man roster. Michael Busch was reliever Yency Almonte had been traded to the Cubs for pitcher Jackson Ferris and outfielder Zyhir Hope.
John Toribio of MLBcom was the first to report the trade.
No Cubs shortstop is on the 40-man roster, with Ferris drafted within the second spherical in 2022 out of IMG Academy and Hope an Eleventh-round pick of Virginia in 2023. Ferris turns 20 on Monday, and Hope turns 19 subsequent Friday, January nineteenth.
Which means the Dodgers cleared two spots on the 40-man roster, considered one of which can go to outfielder Teoscar Hernández, whose one-year, $23.5 million contract is predicted to be finalized quickly. The addition of Hernández kind of completes the Dodgers' place set, with 11 gamers beneath contract plus arbitration-eligible Will Smith and Gavin Lux.
That left little room for Busch, who gained the Pacific Coast League MVP final season for Triple-A Oklahoma Metropolis however struggled in sporadic responsibility within the majors, hitting simply .167/.247/.292 in all 81 plate appearances with the Dodgers. The 26-year-old Busch, who was drafted by the Dodgers within the first spherical in 2019 out of North Carolina, was voted the membership's high prospect coming into 2024 by Baseball America in November. The rankings after all could fluctuate, as Busch was ranked fifth within the system by Baseball Prospectus in December.
Discovering a place for Busch was nonetheless a problem for the Dodgers, who’ve Freddie Freeman at first base, Mookie Betts at second base, Max Muncy at third base, and Shohei Ohtan at designated hitter. These are the positions Busch has performed essentially the most, and any potential time for him in left area was hindered as soon as the Dodgers signed Hernández. The Dodgers nonetheless have Miguel Vargas, who is 2 years youthful than Busch and bats right-handed, to fill that potential choice batting function and determine the place later.
Almonte was among the many Dodgers' pool of arbitration-eligible gamers, however he signed a contract in November on the day of the bidding deadline value $1.9 million, which matches his projected wage by MLB Commerce Rumors.
Due to the Dodger followers for welcoming me to the staff and sticking with me by the nice and the dangerous over the previous 2 seasons. You followers are really wonderful and enjoyable to play in entrance of! My household and I are grateful to have skilled taking part in at Dodger Stadium.
— Yency Almonte (@showtimealmonte) January 11, 2024
Ferris in his first skilled season final yr had a 3.38 ERA in 56 innings for Low-A Myrtle Seaside, with 77 strikeouts (a 32.5 p.c strikeout price) and 33 walks. The 6'4 left-hander was ranked the Cubs' No. 11 prospectus from Baseball Prospectus.
considered one of my favourite video games is attempting to determine which pitcher a younger prospect grew up watching and modeled his supply after (subconsciously or consciously) and Ferris is so clearly post-2015 Wealthy Hill and I feel we must always rejoice that https:/ /t .co/L47MqFgbgL
– Jarrett Seidler (@jaseidler) January 11, 2024
Since Hope was solely drafted final yr, he has a fair shorter resume. He performed 11 video games for the Cubs within the Arizona Advanced League, and hit .286/.419/.543 with three house runs in 43 plate appearances and three stolen bases.
Zyhir Hope ranked because the No. 276 prospect within the 2023 draft class. He turned in 80-degree run instances and was one of many quickest gamers within the class, however had some offensive questions.
11-game professional debut was sturdy: .286/.419/.543 (.962 OPS).
Good EV and swing choices, some S&M.
— Carlos Collazo (@CarlosACollazo) January 11, 2024
The Dodgers at the moment have 38 gamers on the 40-man roster. That is with out Hernández, whose deal will probably be finalized quickly.
