Former Arizona Diamondbacks reliever Jonathan Loaisiga is gaining plenty of interest in free agency, and the Dodgers are one of five teams pursuing a deal.
Per Jesse Rogers of ESPN, a deal is nearing for the right-hander as the impending lockout looms.
The news of the Dodgers’ interest in the right-hander comes just days after longtime Dodgers reliever Evan Phillips signed a three-year, $35 million deal with the Atlanta Braves, ruling him out as a return candidate.
Who is Jonathan Loaisiga?
Loaisiga had one of his best seasons to date with the Arizona Diamondbacks last season, posting a 2.42 ERA through 67 appearances, striking out 48 batters in 67 innings pitched.
His 1.7 bWAR was the second-highest tally of his career, and his ERA was his best in a season with more than 20 appearances since 2021.
He pitched against the Dodgers five times last season, allowing three earned runs through 4.2 innings.
Loaisiga spent the previous eight seasons of his MLB career with the New York Yankees, with whom he made 193 appearances. He posted a 3.54 ERA during those years, striking out 232 batters in 249.1 innings while logging eight saves.
A sinkerball pitcher, Loaisiga walks batters at an extremely low rate and managed to avoid barrels all season, ranking in the top 10% of MLB in barrel and hart-hit percentage last season. Despite not striking many batters out, he induces plenty of chase and throws incredibly hard—averaging nearly 98 mph on his sinker last season.
Given that he avoids hard contact, Loaisiga managed to evade the long ball for most of last season. He only allowed three home runs throughout the entire year, and his elite ground ball rate definitely helped in that sense.
How Much Would Jonathan Loaisiga Cost the Dodgers?
Coming off of a solid year, Loaisiga will certainly command more than the $1.5 million he made with the Diamondbacks last year. Spotrac estimates the right-hander will land a deal worth $8 million annually, and projects he’ll land a two-year deal following his strong 2026 showing.
The Dodgers definitely have the money to land a player like Loaisiga given the contracts they got off their books at the start of free agency.
Would you want to see the Dodgers bring in Jonathan Loaisiga?
