Can Blue Jays take advantage of Dodgers' roster crunch, trade rumors?

When the Toronto Blue Jays entered the 2024-25 MLB offseason, they had a clear need in their bullpen. As a matter of fact, some insiders said that the club needed three or four new faces in the 2025 'pen if they were going to have any chance at contending.

To this point, they haven't been the most active team in the league, but they've at least brought back Yimi Garcia, traded for Nick Sandlin and signed old friend Jeff Hoffman to be their new closer. That isn't exactly nothing, but there's still room for another face, and a familiar foe may have the answer.

According to USA Today's Bob Nightengale, the Los Angeles Dodgers, who continue to swipe Blue Jays free agent targets right out from under them, are shopping some excess relief pitchers.

One name that stands out in particular, at least according to Nightengale, is a long-time division rival the Blue Jays know well: right-hander Ryan Brasier.

Blue Jays could swing Ryan Brasier trade with the Dodgers

Brasier, now 37 years of age, is an eight-year veteran who spent the first six years on the Boston Red Sox. He's quietly established himself as one of the more solid and under-the-radar relievers in the league, although he's been good for a few meltdowns here and there (see: 2022, first half of 2023).

As a member of the Dodgers, Brasier has about a year-and-a-half of service under his belt and he's been money. In a combined 68 appearances, he's got a sparkling 1.89 ERA, 2.83 FIP and 220 ERA+. Brasier is striking out over eight batters per nine innings while being stingier than ever when it comes to hits, home runs and walks allowed.

Yet, he finds himself on the trade block, because those dang Dodgers just won't stop signing new players. Prior to their recent moves to shore up an already great bullpen, the Dodgers signed Teoscar Hernández, Hyeseong Kim, Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki, all of whom were Blue Jays targets at one point this winter.

Most recently, they inked both Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates to contracts, which means two of the faces in their projected 2025 bullpen are going to be squeezed out.

As of right now, it seems that Brasier or old friend Anthony Banda are the odd men out. Either of them would be welcomed additions to a Blue Jays' bullpen that still feels like it needs one more piece.