Dodgers making more 'pen moves?
MLB.com is keeping track of all the latest free-agent and trade rumors involving the Dodgers right here.
Jan. 21: Yates, Dodgers in talks (reports)
The Dodgers apparently aren't done making moves just yet. After recently adding Roki Sasaki and reaching a deal with reliever Tanner Scott (per a source), the club is "looking very likely" to bring in two-time All-Star reliever Kirby Yates, per MLB Network insider Jon Heyman. A potential agreement was first reported by USA Today's Bob Nightengale.
Yates would be joining newcomer Scott and Blake Treinen in Los Angeles' revamped bullpen. The Dodgers have also added starters Sasaki and Blake Snell, infielder Hyeseong Kim and outfielders Teoscar Hern¨¢ndez and Michael Conforto this offseason.
Though their pursuit of Yates is a bit of a surprise given their other moves in the past week, it's hard to imagine the Dodgers making any other major moves before Spring Training outside of potentially re-signing free agent Clayton Kershaw.
Jan. 17: Sasaki announces he is joining Dodgers
The Roki Sasaki sweepstakes have reached a conclusion, with the coveted right-hander announcing Friday that he has decided to join the Dodgers. The Padres and Blue Jays were the other reported finalists in the mix for the 23-year-old.
Sasaki becomes the third high-profile Japanese star to land with the Dodgers over the past two years, following in the footsteps of Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who helped the club win the World Series in 2024.
Due in part to their connection to the Japanese market, the Dodgers had been considered a frontrunner to sign Sasaki since he was posted by the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball on Dec. 9.
Unlike Ohtani and Yamamoto, who signed with the Dodgers as unrestricted free agents, Sasaki was subject to international bonus pool money restrictions, which are placed on foreign-born players unless they are at least 25 years of age and have played as a professional in a foreign league recognized by Major League Baseball for a minimum of six seasons. Assuming he never spends a day in the Minors, Sasaki will be under the Dodgers¡¯ control for the next six seasons before he¡¯ll be eligible to test the open market as an unrestricted free agent.