Taking another team’s scraps is often frowned upon, but perhaps an exception should be made for the two-time defending champions.
On Friday, the Los Angeles Dodgers designated left-handed pitcher Anthony Banda for assignment, a mild surprise given his robust contributions to their World Series teams in each of the last two years. The move was made so Los Angeles could re-acquire catcher Ben Rortvedt on a waiver claim.
It’s none of the Boston Red Sox’s business why the Dodgers found it important to prioritize Rortvedt, however. The fact is that Boston could sorely use another left-handed reliever, and Banda would make a ton of sense, especially in the context of what’s left on the free-agent market.
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Oct 29, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Anthony Banda (43) pitches against the Toronto Blue Jays in the eighth inning during game five of the 2025 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Banda, 32, didn’t have the strongest career track record before arriving with the Dodgers. He posted a 5.69 ERA in 90 games from 2017 to 2023, while pitching for seven teams. It was almost remarkable that he still was getting major league opportunities.
Then, Banda arrived in LA and put up a 3.08 ERA in 49 2/3 innings for the Dodgers in 2024, and a 3.19 ERA in 65 innings last year. He was excellent in the playoffs the first of those two seasons, then very subpar last October. But both postseason runs ended with Banda getting a turn to hoist the World Series trophy over his head.
Los Angeles and Banda agreed to avoid arbitration in January at a $1.625 million salary, which is probably a significant discount compared to what a Danny Coulombe-type free agent would get at this juncture.
Though technically any team can now claim Banda, it is likely a trade would have to be struck, and it might even cost the Red Sox a low-level prospect, which is the less common scenario compared to dealing cash for a player who is DFA’d, purely because one would imagine a lot of teams are interested in Banda right now.
Is Banda a perfect player? Far from it. But could he be better than any of the options available on the current free-agent market? Absolutely, and likely for cheaper as well.
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