The Cubs keep stocking up their bullpen, acquiring reliever Ryan Brasier from the Dodgers on Tuesday.
The Cubs are sending back a player to be named later or cash considerations. The Dodgers designated Brasier, 37, for assignment last week when they signed two-time All-Star Kirby Yates.
To make room on the 40-man roster, the Cubs designated for assignment reliever Rob Zastryzny, who the team claimed off waivers from the Brewers in November.
Brasier posted a 3.54 ERA in 29 appearances last season, serving as an opener four times. A calf injury sidelined him for three and a half months.
The injury made it so that Braiser didn’t have a smooth runway to build off his success with the Dodgers the previous season. They signed him to a minor-league contract in June 2023, shortly after the Red Sox released him. Brasier was back in the majors before the end of the month.
With the Dodgers, he added a cutter to his arsenal. He cut down on walks. His velocity ticked up. Brasier posted a 0.70 ERA. And the Dodgers signed him to a two-year, $9 million contract last offseason.
While the Dodgers’ surplus of talent pushed Brasier off the 40-man roster, he could compete for high-leverage innings with the Cubs if he recaptures the elements that led to his 2023 resurgence.