Ryan Brasier DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

ESPN's Jeff Passan reports that the Chicago Cubs acquired right-handed reliever Ryan Brasier from the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations, per sources. The Dodgers designated the 37-year-old veteran for assignment last week after they recently signed relievers Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates. It's a nice pickup for the Cubs, who also recently acquired reliever Ryan Pressly from the Houston Astros. Brasier may not be the favorite for saves in Chicago, but he should at least handle high-leverage setup innings, making him a sleeper for holds in fantasy leagues. In 29 appearances (four starts) for the Dodgers last year, Brasier held a 3.54 ERA and 0.96 WHIP with 25 K's and five walks in 28 innings. He missed significant time with a calf injury. Brasier has never been a big strikeout guy (career 8.9 K/9), so his fantasy upside won't be significant.

According to Pat Ragazzo of Sports Illustrated, the New York Mets have shown interest in Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Ryan Brasier. Earlier this week, Brasier was designated for assignment to open a spot on the roster for Kirby Yates. However, Brasier was very effective last season. Across 28 innings, the 37-year-old posted a 3.54 ERA with a strong 0.96 WHIP. He struck out 25 batters and posted a strong 4.5 percent walk rate. Under the hood, he generated a 45.0 percent ground-ball and 7.5 percent barrel rates. Across 59 2/3 innings during the 2023 campaign, the Weatherford College product held a 3.02 ERA with a 1.02 WHIP. Fantasy managers should expect Brasier to draw significant interest on the trade market. He will likely operate as a middle-reliever on a competing team in 2025.

The Los Angeles Dodgers designated right-handed reliever Ryan Brasier for assignment on Thursday, according to sources. The move was made to open up a spot on the 40-man roster for recently-signed reliever Kirby Yates. The Dodgers now will have a few days to try to find a trade partner before he's subject to waivers. There could be a market for the 37-year-old veteran relief man after he posted a 3.54 ERA and 0.96 WHIP with 25 strikeouts and only five walks out of the Dodgers bullpen in 28 innings pitched last season. Even if the Dodgers do not find a trade partner, there's a good chance another team looking for additional bullpen depth will claim him off waivers. Brasier wasn't going to see much high-leverage work in L.A.'s stacked bullpen, but he could with another squad in 2025. He missed valuable time in 2024 with a calf injury but should be healthy for spring training.

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Los Angeles Dodgers are shopping right-handed pitcher Ryan Brasier. Nightengale noted that the Dodgers need to clear space off their 40-man roster for several new additions. On Tuesday, Nightengale reported that the Dodgers had reached a tentative agreement with right-handed pitcher Kirby Yates. Last season, Brasier was deployed typically out of the bullpen but did make four starts. Across 28 innings, the 37-year-old held a 3.54 ERA and a strong 0.96 WHIP. He showed elite command with a 4.5% walk rate but struggled to generate strikeouts as he posted a modest 22.7% K rate. During the playoffs, he allowed five earned across nine innings of work. If the Dodgers find a trade partner for Brasier, he would likely operate as a middle-relief option with his new club.

Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Ryan Brasier will serve as the opener for Game 2 of the National League Championship Series on Monday at Dodger Stadium against the New York Mets, with manager Dave Roberts saying he expects right-hander Landon Knack to take "most of the outs" as the bulk reliever. Brasier served as the opener in the Game 4 win over the division-rival San Diego Padres in the NL Division Series and threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings while striking out one. He also went 2 1/3 innings in a traditional relief role earlier in the series, allowing two earned runs on three hits while walking none and striking out one. Brasier obviously isn't a viable DFS play as an opener in Game 2. Knack pitched the final inning of the Game 4 win over the Pads and threw a scoreless frame with a strikeout. The 27-year-old went 3-5 with a 3.65 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 69 K's and 18 walks in 69 innings over his first 15 big-league outings (12 starts) during the regular season.