Cardinals' division rival poaches recently DFA'd reliever from Los Angeles Dodgers

According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the Chicago Cubs have agreed to a deal to acquire right-handed reliever Ryan Brasier from the Los Angeles Dodgers. Brasier, 37, was designated for assignment last week when the Dodgers signed reliever Kirby Yates.

Brasier was injured for parts of the 2024 season, and he was limited to only 28 innings on the year. He finished with a 3.54 ERA and 25 strikeouts in limited time. His postseason showing was underwhelming, as he allowed five runs in nine innings. Ryan Brasier has spent most of his career with the Boston Red Sox, as he was there from 2018 through 2023, the same time frame in which Chaim Bloom was the organization's head of baseball operations.

Brasier was DFA'd on Thursday, January 30th, by the Dodgers, and they had 10 days to strike a deal to move the veteran reliever without him being placed on waivers. Specific details surrounding the deal with the Cubs haven't been released as of the publication of this article, but it's likely that the Cubs won't be required to foot the remaining $4.5 million on Brasier's two-year deal that he signed last offseason.

This relatively small transaction has ramifications for the St. Louis Cardinals in two ways. First, the Cardinals will now have to face off against Brasier. His career on the whole has been a bit of a roller coaster, but he still has a career 3.85 ERA and a 3.58 FIP while striking out a batter nearly every inning on average. Since being acquired by the Dodgers in 2023, Brasier has had a 1.90 ERA in just over 66 innings. That's otherworldly.

This trade also impacts the Cardinals because Brasier seemed like the perfect fit for the organization in 2025. They're still possibly searching for a right-handed reliever to replace hold king Andrew Kittredge from last year. Preferably, this replacement reliever would be a veteran who could guide a relief corps that is all under 30 outside of closer Ryan Helsley.

Brasier would have been cheap with a decent ceiling who could provide meaningful innings in medium and high-leverage spots. John Mozeliak wouldn't have had to reach into free agency for a more costly reliever of similar performance, nor would he have had to trade a valuable prospect to land the 37-year-old reliever. Instead, he could have saved money and given up a low-level prospect for a reliever who could contribute at the major league level.

There's a strong chance that the Dodgers had zero interest in dealing with the Cardinals. There's also a chance that the Cubs simply made a stronger push than the Cardinals for Brasier. Regardless, Brasier is just one of many fringe players who could have made a difference for the Cardinals next year.

There was no way St. Louis and the DeWitts would be spending meaningful money this offseason. It's been clear that Bill DeWitt Jr. has intended on slashing the payroll to pre-COVID levels. However, these small, cheap moves are the ones that can change the structure and feel within a clubhouse. Instead of adding on the periphery, Mozeliak is now stuck with essentially the same roster he trotted out in 2024 without a postseason appearance.

If the team intends on being competitive in 2025, then the front office needs to make stronger pushes for these edge moves that could make an impact on the roster this year.