Dodgers trade Busch, Almonte to Cubs
L.A. gets minor league prospects Ferris, Hope
The Dodgers cleared two spots on their 40-man roster by sending reliever Yency Almonte and top prospect Michael Busch to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for two minor league prospects.
One of the roster spots will be taken by outfielder Teoscar Hernandez when his signing to a oneyear, $23.5 million deal becomes official.
Additionally, the Dodgers reached one-year contract agreements with all of their arbitrationeligible players — catcher Will Smith, pitchers Walker Buehler, Dustin May, Evan Phillips, Caleb Ferguson, Brusdar Graterol, J.P. Feyereisen, Alex Vesia and Ryan
Yarbrough and shortstop Gavin Lux. Thursday was the deadline to exchange salary figures with arb-eligible players.
In exchange for Almonte and Busch, the Dodgers received lefthander Jackson Ferris and outfielder Zyhir Hope. Both spent last season at the Class-A level and were ranked among the Cubs’ top 20 prospects.
Ferris, 19, was the Cubs’ second-round draft pick in 2022. He went 2-3 with a 3.38 ERA and 77 strikeouts in 56 innings for ClassA Myrtle Beach in his first pro season last year.
Hope, 18, was the Cubs’ 11thround pick in last year’s draft. He made his pro debut by going 10 for 35 with three home runs in 11 games in the Arizona Complex League last summer.
After four seasons with the Colorado Rockies, Almonte was an effective piece of the Dodgers’ bullpen in 2022, posting a 1.02 ERA with one save in 33 appearances. He slumped badly in 2023, though, posting a 5.06 ERA with a 1.40 WHIP and ending the season on the injured list with a knee injury. He agreed to a one-year, $1.9 million contract earlier this offseason, avoiding arbitration.
The Dodgers’ first-round pick in 2019, Busch was the Pacific Coast League MVP and the Dodgers’ Minor League Player of the Year in 2023 after batting .323 with 27 home runs, 90 RBIs and a 1.049 OPS in 98 games at Triple-A.
But Busch couldn’t get any traction at the major-league level, batting .167 in 27 games with the Dodgers last year. Limited defensively, there was nowhere for him to play on this year’s team.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers signed Buehler to the same salary he received while rehabbing from elbow surgery last year ($8.025 million). Phillips received a raise from $1.3 million to $4 million. Ferguson will receive $2.4 million, Graterol $2.7 million, Yarbrough $3.9 million and Vesia $1 million.
Coming off his first All-Star season in 2023, Smith got a raise from $5.25 million to $8.55 million in 2024.
May is not expected to pitch in 2024 after elbow surgery last year but will receive a $2.135 million salary. Feyereisen is expected to return in 2024 after missing 2023 following shoulder surgery. He agreed to a $770,000 salary.
Lux missed the 2023 season after suffering a serious knee injury in spring training. He settled for a $1.225 million salary in 2024.
This is the last year of arbitration eligibility for Buehler, Ferguson and Yarbrough. All three will be eligible for free agency next winter.