Dodgers trade Michael Busch, Yency Almonte to Cubs
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 one-year, $23.5 million deal becomes official.
Additionally, the Dodgers reached one-year contract agreements with a handful of their arbitration-eligible players – pitchers Walker Buehler, Dustin May, Evan Phillips, Caleb Ferguson, J.P. Feyereisen and Ryan Yarbrough and shortstop Gavin Lux.
In exchange for Almonte and Busch, the Dodgers received left-hander Jackson Ferris and outfielder Zyhir Hope. Both spent last season at the Class-A level and were ranked in the Cubs’ top 20 prospects.
Ferris, 19, was the Cubs’ second-round pick in 2022. He went 2-3 with a 3.38 ERA and 77 strikeouts in 56 innings for Class-A Myrtle Beach in his first pro season last year.
Hope, 18, was the Cubs’ 11th-round 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 RBI and a 1.049 OPS in 98 games at Triple-A.
But Busch couldn’t get any traction at the big-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.
The trade is pending physicals for the players involved.
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 and Yarbrough $3.9 million.
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.
Today is the deadline for teams to exchange salary figures with arbitration-eligible players. The Dodgers have three unsigned players in that category – Will Smith, Brusdar Graterol and Alex Vesia.