The Los Angeles Dodgers have signed veteran right-hander Yency Almonte , whom they traded to Chicago in the January 2024 deal that also sent Michael Busch to the Cubs .
MORE: Cubs lose 5-year veteran infielder to Blue Jays
Almonte, 31, hasn't pitched at the big league level since 2024, when shoulder injuries limited him to 17 games. He's 8-6 with a 4.44 ERA in 213 career games, all out of the bullpen, for the Colorado Rockies (2018-21), Dodgers and Cubs.
The minor league contract includes an invitation to the Dodgers' major league spring training camp, bringing Almonte back to the team he pitched for from 2022-23. Over his two seasons in Los Angles, Almonte went 3-2 with a 3.35 ERA in 82 games.
In 2025, Almonte split the season between the Cubs' advanced Class-A and Double-A affiliates, allowing four earned runs in 19.1 innings (1.86 ERA) in 15 games.
Almonte faces a long road if he intends to crack a bullpen bolstered by the top reliever on the free agent market, Edwin Diaz , who signed a three-year, $69 million contract with the Dodgers in December.
In 2022, his first season in Los Angeles, Almonte used his 6-foot-5 frame to his advantage, playing up his 96-mph fastball with elite extension.
That season, opponents swung and missed at 33.5 percent of his pitches. Almonte limited hard contact to the tune of a .306 slugging percentage.
Although he's struggled in the years since, Almonte now has a chance to show the Dodgers he's healthy and capable of recapturing his earlier form.
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