The Los Angeles Dodgers sold outfielder Ryan Ward, who they designated for assignment last week, to the Chunichi Dragons in Nippon Professional Baseball.
Dodgers sold the recently-DFA’d Ryan Ward to the NPB’s Chunichi Dragons.
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) September 22, 2026
Ward, 28, spent the majority of this season in Triple-A, though he came up to make his MLB debut in spring. He made 20 appearances in MLB, hitting three homers and driving in 12 runs with a .738 OPS during his brief stay in the show.
Why Did the Dodgers DFA Ryan Ward?
Ward had a 40-man roster spot for the entire season prior to his DFA, and performed fairly well in the minors.
He had a .779 OPS over the course of 106 games with the Triple-A Oklahoma City Comets, hitting 18 homers and driving in 82 runs. Last season with Triple-A Oklahoma City, Ward won the Pacific Coast League MVP with 36 homers and 122 RBIs, posting a .937 OPS.
While his track record in the highest level of the minors is impressive, the Dodgers clearly didn’t envision him in their long-term plans.
The Dodgers have a multitude of top outfield prospects, even after shipping Zyhir Hope to the Detroit Tigers for Tarik Skubal. LA clearly holds them in high regard as well, as they called up Josue De Paula directly from Double-A rather than giving Ward another shot.
With the talent the Dodgers already had in the outfield at the major league level as well as one of the best farm systems in the league, Ward didn’t have much of a place in the organization after this season given the progression of their young talent.
Jun 10, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder Ryan Ward (67) in the batting cage before the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn ImagesWhy Join the Chunichi Dragons?
Ward is talented enough to have gone elsewhere in MLB, but he wouldn’t have been eligible to join a team other than the Dodgers for the postseason.
The outfielder wouldn’t have been able to play in the postseason for any team other than the Dodgers, as he wouldn’t have been on any team’s 40-man roster before Sept. 1, so he took his chances overseas.
His choice to join the Dragons is questionable, as they aren’t going to make the playoffs and have just three games remaining in the regular season, but he could remain in Japan for a couple years with a return to MLB on his mind.
Dodgers Nation
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