Dodgers Make Trade, Acquire Journeyman Reliever From Guardians

The Los Angeles Dodgers have made a trade. On Friday morning, the team acquired left-handed pitcher Anthony Banda from the Cleveland Guardians in exchange for cash considerations.

Banda, 30, is a left-handed reliever who last pitched on Saturday for Cleveland’s Triple-A affiliate. In Triple-A this season, Banda has a 2.12 ERA in 12 appearances (17 innings).

Banda was drafted in the 10th round of the 2012 MLB Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers. In 2014, he was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks along with Mitch Haniger for Gerardo Parra.

In 2017, he debuted with the Diamondbacks, sporting a 5.96 ERA in 25.2 innings (eight appearances, four starts).

Then, in Feb. 2018, Banda was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays in a three-team deal with the New York Yankees. He spent three seasons with Tampa Bay, before bouncing around between the New York Mets, Pittsburgh Pirates, Toronto Blue Jays, Yankees, and Washington Nationals.

In 2023, Banda was with Washington, where he had a 6.43 ERA in 10 appearances.

Banda signed a minor league deal with Cleveland this offseason, and was impressing in Triple-A. However, Cleveland hadn’t called him up yet, so the Dodgers decided to pounce.

Banda has a career 5.69 EERA in 90 MLB appearances. He was not on Cleveland’s 40-man roster, so he does not need to be placed on L.A.’s.

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