Dodgers Trade Yency Almonte, Michael Busch to Chicago Cubs for Two Minor League Prospects

The Dodgers have completed a sending pitcher Yency Almonte and infielder Michael Busch to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for pitching prospect Jackson Ferris and outfield prospect Zyhir Hope.

Jeff Passan of ESPN.com and Juan Toribio of MLB.com were first to report, respectively, the Cubs’ and Dodgers’ personnel involved in the trade. The trade frees two 40-man roster spots, one of which will go to recently signed outfielder Teoscar Hernández once his contract becomes official.

Busch, 26, immediately gets a reprieve from the Dodgers’ roster logjam that offered him little path to playing time. The Dodgers’ first-round draft pick in 2019 made his major league debut last season and appeared in 27 games, hitting .167 with two home runs and seven RBIs.

At the Triple-A level, Busch was a dominant middle-of-the-order hitter for Oklahoma City, slashing .323/.431/.618 and capturing the Pacific Coast League MVP award.

Almonte was eligible for arbitration this year, and the trade comes on the deadline day for teams and arbitration-eligible players to reach agreement on a 2024 contract. However, Almonte previously signed a one-year deal with the Dodgers in November.

Most likely, the Dodgers were motivated to trade Almonte because they need to clear a roster spot for Teoscar Hernandez. The free agent outfielder agreed to terms with the Dodgers on a one-year contract last week. If the Dodgers acquire a minor league player in exchange for Almonte, they will have 39 players on their 40-man roster.

Almonte, 29, went 3-2 with a 5.06 ERA in 49 appearances out of the Dodgers’ bullpen last season.

As far as the two prospects that L.A. got in return, both have tremendous upside.

Ferris, a 19-year-old left-hander, was a second-round pick in 2022. He was the Cubs’ 8th-best prospect according to MLB Pipeline.

In his first professional season, Ferris posted a 3.38 ERA at Low-A Myrtle Beach with a 32.5% strikeout rate, while opponents hit a .177 average against him. He has a fastball that sits around 92-95 mph with great carry to it. He also uses a nice curveball which features high spin rates and can has 12-to-6 break to it. His skill set allows him to miss bats efficiently, and it could improve with more velocity.

Hope, 18, was drafted in the 11th round in 2023. He debuted with Chicago’s Arizona Complex League team in 2023, hitting .286 with three home runs and nine runs batted in over 11 games. Hope has solid speed in his repertoire and gives the Dodgers’ farm system more depth in the outfield going forward.

Photo Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

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