Dodgers Could Be Nearing Another Big Trade Ahead of Major Signings

The Los Angeles Dodgers have officially signed Roki Sasaki.
This means a lot for the future of the Dodgers, but as of right now, the 40-man roster is at capacity and in need of making some moves to clear two more roster spots.
The signings of Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates are going to be huge for L.A.'s bullpen, but to make room for them on the 40-man roster, veteran reliever Ryan Brasier is a name making his rounds in trade rumors.
Brasier is owned $4.5 million this year and would not only save some cash for the big-spending Dodgers, but perfectly open up another spot on the team. USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported Brasier being a potential trade candidate on Wednesday.
The Los Angeles Dodgers, who need to clear space on their 40-man roster for their new and pending additions, are shopping some of their surplus to teams, including veteran Ryan Brasier, who is owed $4.5 million this year.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) January 22, 2025
Another name who could potentially fit the bill is fellow reliever Michael Grove.
Grove is owed $800,000 in 2025, but the middle reliever’s role would increasingly shrink with all the other pitching relief L.A. has signed recently.
Although Grove isn’t saving as much money as Brasier, this move would solely be to open up a roster spot for Scott and Yates.
Grove had a less than ideal 2024 with a 5.12 ERA in his 39 appearances. He threw 54 strikeouts to only 16 walks in 51 innings pitched.
At 37 years old, Brasier had an ERA of 3.94 in 29 appearances, his first full season as a Dodger. His 25 strikeouts to only five walks in 28 innings were solid, but he is not seen as someone a part of the Dodgers pitching future.
Another name to keep in mind is the longest tenured Dodger, Clayton Kershaw.
Kershaw is expected to re-sign with the Dodgers this season ,but is yet another pitcher L.A. has to make room for.
Although it is likely the longtime ace will be placed on the 60-day IL, not taking up a roster spot, an initial roster spot is still needed to re-sign the MVP.
A name that isn’t likely to be traded but is worth mentioning is Chris Taylor.
Financially, the Dodgers would love to part ways with his $15 million contract, but if L.A. did in fact trade the 34-year-old, it would come with paying down his salary and also likely attaching a prospect. This is due to the expected lack of teams interested in paying that price tag, and let alone helping out the defending World Series champions making their roster even better.
The most recent example of this type of trade was with the Toronto Blue Jays taking on $11 million of Myles Straw’s five-year, $25 million contract from the Cleveland Guardians in order to add international bonus pool money in an effort to land Roki Sasaki. Unfortunately for Toronto, they didn't get Sasaki, and are now stuck paying Straw's contract.