Dodgers Make Massive Trade With Chicago Cubs, Clearing 40-Man Roster Spots: Reports

The Dodgers trade a former first-round pick to bolster their farm system.

The Dodgers have agreed on a trade to send reliever Yency Almonte and infielder Michael Busch to the Chicago Cubs. The return for L.A. is outfielder Zyhir Hope and left-hander Jackson Ferris.

Full trade: The Chicago Cubs are acquiring third baseman Michael Busch and reliever Yency Almonte from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for a pair of toolsy teenaged prospects, left-handed starter Jackson Ferris and outfielder Zyhir Hope, sources tell ESPN.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 11, 2024

Both prospects won't be needed on the 40-man roster right now, freeing up space for the team to add recent signee Teoscar Hernández. Both players have tremendous upside and should be key pieces for years to come. 

Ferris was the Cubs' 8th-ranked prospect according to MLB Pipeline, and now slots in at number-5 on the Dodgers' prospect list. A second-round pick in 2022, Ferris logged a 3.38 ERA with a 32.5% strikeout rate in 2023 while opponents hit .177 against him.

Hope was drafted in the 11th round in 2023, and gives the Dodgers more minor league depth in the outfield. He has good speed and showed some power by hitting three home runs in his first 11 games at the rookie-ball level last year.

Busch was always a candidate to be moved this offseason. The Dodgers took away virtually every path to playing time they could offer the 26-year-old, moving Mookie Betts to second base, signing designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, then bringing in Hernandez. 

Busch, the reigning Pacific Coast League MVP, should do well with an opportunity to play on a more regular basis.

In three separate major league stints last season, Busch appeared in 27 games and hit .167 with two home runs and seven runs batted in. Busch couldn't stay consistent in his brief time with the team, but has the skill set to be a solid player in the big leagues.

Busch was dominant during his time in Triple-A last year, slashing .323/.431/.618.

Almonte, 29, had signed a 1-year, $1.9 million contract in November. He went 3-2 with a 5.06 ERA in 49 relief appearances last season.

The trade makes sense in light of the Dodgers agreeing to terms with Hernandez on a one-year contract last week. The deal has yet to be officially announced. The Dodgers had to clear a spot on their 40-man roster before they could add Hernández.

Almonte went 3-2 last season with the team, posting an ERA of 5.06 in 49 appearances out of the bullpen. He was thought to be a decent option for them this coming season but was always a candidate to be moved to clear roster spots.

More analysis on the trade from Doug McKain of dodgersnation.com: