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LOS ANGELES, CA—Earlier today, the Los Angeles Dodgers made their first official move of the 2026-2027 Major League Baseball offseason, claiming infielder Christian Cairo from the New York Mets.
The Dodgers claimed IF Christian Cairo from the New York Mets.
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) November 9, 2026
The move puts the Dodgers’ 40-man roster at 38 players.
Cairo, 25, has yet to make his MLB debut and spent the majority of the 2026 season with the Mets’ rival, the Philadelphia Phillies, in Triple-A, playing in 128 games, hitting .227/.378/.298 with four home runs, 66 runs scored, 35 RBI, and 25 stolen bases.
Cairo is a versatile, glove-first utility infielder who offers defensive flexibility and speed, and can play shortstop, second base, and third base. He has also seen time at first base and all three outfield positions. The 24-year-old was designated for assignment by the Philadelphia Phillies in September before being claimed off waivers by the New York Mets on September 15th.
Offensively, however, there is plenty of room for improvement. The right-handed hitter has below-average bat speed, but his quality bat control lets him spray the ball to all fields. FanGraphs projects Cairo with a 40-grade hit tool and 30-grade game power on the 20-80 scouting scale, profiling him as a defense-first infielder who could fill a final spot on a major league roster.
A Bakersfield, California native, Cairo was selected by the Cleveland Guardians in the fourth round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of Calvary Christian High School in Clearwater, Florida. He is also the son of former MLB infielder Miguel Cairo, who enjoyed a 17-year major league career.
Dodgers Reunite With Tyler Fitzgerald on Minor League Deal
On the minor league side of the aisle, the Dodgers have also re-signed minor league free agent Tyler Fitzgerald, who will likely receive a non-roster invitation to Spring Training, per Baseball America.
The Dodgers first acquired Fitzgerald during the early parts of the 2026 season from the Toronto Blue Jays for cash considerations after being DFA’d by the former American League champions.
The 29-year-old Fitzgerald did not appear in a Major League game in 2026. In the previous three seasons, he spent parts of each year with the San Francisco Giants, batting .252/.309/.430 with 21 home runs, 53 RBI, 75 runs scored and 28 stolen bases over 173 games.
He also posted a 106 wRC+ and 3.3 WAR during that span, highlighted by a breakout 2024 season, when he hit .280/.334/.497 with 15 home runs, 34 RBI, 53 runs scored and 17 stolen bases in 96 games, earning a 132 wRC+.
Fitzgerald spent the 2026 season bouncing between the Giants, Toronto Blue Jays and Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliates, batting .237/.336/.465 with six home runs, 22 RBI, 22 runs scored and four stolen bases across 33 games, along with a 103 wRC+.
His versatility is another appealing aspect of the reunion. Fitzgerald has experience at every infield and outfield position during his professional career and has even logged three innings on the mound. That flexibility gives the Dodgers another versatile depth option in the Minor Leagues who could potentially provide emergency coverage on the major league bench.
Roster Outlook
Both players look like viable bench depth options for the Dodgers next season; however, don’t get too attached, as another set of 40-man roster moves ahead of the Rule-5 draft, along with potential free agent signings, could mean Cairo is a placeholder for something bigger.
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Cody Snavely has been the co-editor of DodgersBeat and full-time host of the Bleed Los Podcast since February 2023. He has also written for multiple websites, such as Dodgers Way, Dodgers Low-Down, and Dodgers Tailgate. A Wilmington University graduate, Snavely is an avid Dodgers fan who uses his advanced baseball knowledge to keep fans updated on the latest storylines, rumors, and opinions on Dodgers baseball.
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