The Los Angeles Dodgers have made a series of moves with one clear intent — adding high-stuff pitchers who have command woes.
The Dodgers have made two different moves over the past week in the middle of the season, swinging two trades for pitchers.
Los Angeles traded for Chayce McDermott and Griff McGarry , sending away international bonus pool money along with fellow minor league pitcher Axel Perez in the trades.
Both McGarry and McDermott are reporting to Triple-A Oklahoma City to spend time in the minor leagues, but they could end up getting chances with the Dodgers in case of injuries, which always tend to happen during the season.
Mar 30, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers general manager and executive vice president Brandon Gomes watches batting practice before the game against the Cleveland Guardians at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
McDermott, who comes from the Baltimore Orioles , has the leg up on McGarry in terms of the pecking order for a major league appearance due to his status on the 40-man roster.
However, each offers an interesting profile that aligns with the Dodgers' trend and their player preferences.
During his time in the major leagues with the Orioles, McDermott pitched 12.2 innings and posted a 12.79 ERA, allowing 17 hits, 14 walks, and 12 strikeouts.
However, the atrocious numbers do not tell the full story of McDermott's ability.
According to Pitcher Profiler, an X account dedicated to analyzing and modeling pitchers, McDermott has high-quality stuff, especially with his splitter, four-seam fastball, and sweeper.
His command, though, rates out as extremely poor, with a 30 out of 80 rating on FanGraphs. There was room for improvement, according to the baseball resource, as he could reach 40.
FanGraphs' PitchBot, which also does its own pitch modeling, has McDermott notably under par in terms of his command.
The Dodgers, who have a track record of developing command in pitchers, are hoping that his stuff grades, his pedigree as a top prospect shines, and his command reaches a decent enough point that it clicks.
McGarry, another quality stuff pitcher with underlying metrics, has woeful command, which has led the Washington Nationals and Philadelphia Phillies to give up on him.
However, it was not long ago that McGarry was a top prospect for the Phillies before things went awry command-wise.
According to Pitch Profiler, McGarry still has an elite-spin fastball that can miss hitters' barrels and could use an adjustment to the rest of his pitch mix.
It is possible that both pitchers are off the team or the league at any time, considering the nature of their careers thus far.
But the Dodgers' track record of taking other people's metaphorical scraps and turning them into diamonds is long and detailed, which would make it not the least bit shocking if either sticks around and contributes over the long run.
