The Los Angeles Dodgers made their first trade of the 2026 regular season, adding a southpaw pitcher to their staff, which is made up mostly of righties.
The Dodgers are getting Jake Eder from the Washington Nationals in exchange for cash considerations.
The Nationals designated Eder for assignment on March 28 before he was dealt to the Dodgers in a similar fashion to how former lefty reliever Anthony Banda was traded to the Minnesota Twins after being DFA’d.
Eder has ping-ponged among multiple teams and organizations since 2021.
Jul 18, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Los Angeles Angels pitcher Jake Eder (39) pitches against the Philadelphia Phillies during the second inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
He got drafted by the Miami Marlins back in 2022 in the fourth round out of Vanderbilt before moving to the Chicago White Sox, where he made his MLB debut in 2024.
Shortly after, he moved to the Washington Nationals and then to the Los Angeles Angels in 2025, before returning to the Nationals heading into the 2026 season.
At 27, he has made only 9 appearances in the major leagues. He has pitched 20.1 innings, putting up a 4.87 ERA.
A 90 ERA+ and a 5.25 FIP indicate his ERA is actually worse relative to his metrics. His fastball velocity was 94.1 MPH in 2024 with the White Sox, falling to 93.2 with the Angels.
He has previously thrown a four-seamer, a cutter, a slider, a curveball, and a change-up, though more recently he has leaned on his fastball, slider, and change-up as a simpler combination.
Eder has been a starter throughout his time as a pro, only moving into a relief role more recently with the Angels, giving him the potential to be a swingman – a versatility the Dodgers tend to value.
What does the trade mean for the Dodgers?
As mentioned above, the Dodgers have a surplus of right-handed pitchers in the bullpen and in terms of organizational depth.
Eder gives the team a lefty pitcher, in a pinch for a specific matchup, with big-league experience who can potentially play at a replacement-level rate.
It cannot go unnoticed that the Dodgers tend to undervalue players of this caliber and see them develop in unforeseen ways, whether in terms of velocity, stuff, or effectiveness.
While it is possible that Eder ends up as just a depth piece, when the Dodgers make a move for a relative unknown pitcher, ears tend to perk up around the league.
LA Baseball Report
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