Cubs need to watch the Dodgers' roster crunch |
At this point, everyone is sick and tired of talking about the Dodgers, and rightfully so. They have owned free agency the past two seasons and have dominated it again this year. From Blake Snell to Roki Sasaki, the already wealthy Dodgers kept getting richer.
Then, the Cubs expressed interest in Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates in the past few days and offered them excellent deals, only to have both sign with the Dodgers. Talk about a frustrating situation for the Cubs and the rest of baseball. The Cubs can't win a bidding war with the Dodgers, and that is just the painful reality this team is in when you are talking about free agency. However, all is not lost for the Cubs yet, as all these recent Dodger additions will force LA into a roster crunch that will lead to some tough decisions. You could see some surprising names cut from Los Angeles or even significant contributors to make room for some of these guys, creating an opportunity for the Cubs and other teams. Granted, if something like this happens, it likely won't happen until Spring Training or later, but better late than never, as the Cubs need to monitor the Dodgers bullpen situation with a chance to help their roster. Finding talent from the Dodgers hasn't been an issue for the Cubs, as they traded Jackson Ferris and Zyhir Hope to Los Angeles last season for Michael Busch and Yency Almonte. Busch proved worth the deal as he finished near the top in most offensive categories among rookies and has cemented himself as the long-term first baseman. Almonte got off to a slow start to start the season before coming into his own and then wound up missing the final four months with a series of shoulder injuries. The Cubs don't have an issue trading with the Dodgers for talent, and there could be plenty of relief talent available for the Cubs to have. We have already discussed that guys like Ryan Brasier and Dustin May are potential fits for the Cubs, and both would make this team better. However, two more guys are seen as potential bullpen casualties, and both are names the Cubs should strongly consider should each get released.
Banda is the first name to watch and is filled with question marks. With Scott coming to the pen as the most likely closer, it will force the Dodgers hand to bump another lefty and Banda could be the odd man out. With the Cubs needing another left-handed option to pair with Caleb Thielbar and Luke Little, Banda makes a ton of sense for them. On the surface, his 4.92 ERA might scare most fans away, but he is coming off a career season where he posted a 3.08 ERA in 2024. That included substantial success in the playoffs, as he was a critical piece to that bullpen in October. The Dodgers would love to keep Banda, but with Scott and Alex Vesia as the other lefties in the pen, Banda may find himself as the odd man out. That could benefit the Cubs as one man's trash is another man's treasure, and Banda could be a massive get for the Cubs. He lives around 95 MPH and can rush it up at 97 while mixing in a steady dose of off-speed pitches. He also gets tons of weak contact and ground ball outs, which would play well at Wrigley.Anthony Banda
Brusdar Graterol
Another pitcher who has struggled with the Dodgers is right-hander Brusdar Graterol, who could become a perfect late-game option for this team. Although it may be a long shot when you look at what Graterol has done for this team, there are discussions about the Dodgers moving on from him as Yates will presumably take over the role he occupied.
Can you imagine Porter Hodge paired with Graterol in the late innings? He is the definition of a flame thrower as he lives around 98 MPH, and his heater can rush things up there at 100. Despite being limited to seven innings last season and posting a 2.45 ERA, Graterol has been a strong asset to the Dodgers for several years, posting a 1.20 ERA in 2023 and a 3.26 ERA in 2022.
The 2023 season is the one that comes to mind the most, as that 1.20 ERA wasn't over a sample size but over 68 games and 67 innings. That season, he walked 12 and struck out 48 while emerging as one of the best late-inning arms in the game. You would like to see more strikeouts from a guy who throws as hard as he does, but he knows how to get guys out and would be a nice addition to this pen.
