LOS ANGELES, CA—After being DFA’d by the Los Angeles Dodgers less than a week ago to make room for the team’s waiver claim of catcher Ben Rortvedt, left-handed relief pitcher Anthony Bands has been traded to the Minnesota Twins.
Banda was expected to have a robust trade market as a left-hander of his stature; at just $1.5 million in salary, he does not come around often, as Dodgers insider Fabian Ardaya highlighted earlier this week in The Athletic.
That trade ended up coming to fruition with the southpaw heading to the Twin Cities in exchange for international pool money.
Banda has been one of Dave Roberts’ most-utilized bullpen pitchers despite disappointing many Dodgers fans over the past two years. He ended his time with the Dodgers with a 3.14 ERA over 114.2 innings, including 71 appearances in 2025.
Banda has been especially effective against left-handed hitters, limiting them to a .153 batting average and a .496 OPS. In contrast, right-handed batters have performed better against him, with a .229 average and a .773 OPS. This data provides useful insights for teams throughout the league.
The Dodgers were forced to move on from Banda despite those stats due to his limited roster flexibility, as the lefty is set to become a free agent at the end of the 2026 season and was out of minor league options.
For now, Banda will play for the 9th team of his career, having spent the last 1.5 seasons with Los Angeles.
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