LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 26: A detailed view of a Los Angeles Dodgers hat and catching glove is seen on the dugout steps during the sixth inning of the MLB game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on April 26, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers defeated the Pirates 6-2. (Photo by Victor Decolongon/Getty Images)
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The Los Angeles Dodgers will be looking to win a third World Series championship in a row with a returning roster of superstar staples.
Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and the majority of the other key players will be returning to run it back. But that doesn’t mean the team won’t be changing things on the periphery.
The Dodgers could lose some veteran players from this past season’s Fall Classic as they seek new deals in free agency. And the team could bring in a new star to help fortify the outfield or bullpen.
On Sunday, the Dodgers made some room on their 40-man roster that could be filled with a new addition by cutting ties with a pitcher just days after placing him there.
“The Dodgers acquired minor league RHP Tyler Gough via a trade from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for RHP Robinson Ortiz,” the team announced on X, formerly Twitter.
The move came shortly after news broke that the Mariners were close to signing first baseman Josh Naylor to a new five-year contract. And it was less than two weeks after the Dodgers selected Ortiz’s contract to the 40-man roster.
“Neither player has any big league experience, but the trade is likely more about the Dodgers’ desire to clear a spot on their 40-man roster,” Mark Polishuk wrote for MLB Trade Rumors. “L.A. now has 38 places filled on its 40-man, while the Mariners have at least 39 spots addressed and potentially a full 40 depending on when Josh Naylor’s new contract is made official.”
Though Ortiz had spent his entire career in the Dodgers organization, it seemed unlikely that he would have much impact at the big-league level next year, even if he had stuck on the team’s 40-man roster. He pitched fewer than 60 innings last year as he bounced between three different levels of the minors and has struggled with injuries throughout his career.
Gough, meanwhile, missed all of last year while recovering from Tommy John surgery and last pitched in Single-A. So, ultimately, this move seems more about clearing space on the roster than about securing any talent upgrade for the team’s upcoming championship push.
For the Mariners, though, Ortiz could be a factor next year. The team lacks a lot of left-handed pitching, so he could serve as a depth piece for the organization as it looks to challenge contenders like the Dodgers in another World Series run next season.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/peterchawaga/2025/11/17/dodgers-cut-ties-with-25-year-old-pitcher-in-quick-turnaround/
