The Los Angeles Dodgers 40-man roster is full, and Kirby Yates still appears to be on the way, so LA fans are on the edge of their seats waiting to see which player will get shoved to make room for him (though easy money is on Michael Grove). While their packed roster has a lot of untouchables, there are still a couple of bench players and bullpen arms that could be sacrificed if the Dodgers wanted to make room for even more.
A lot of teams would want to avoid further roster crunching by continuing to acquire new talent on a full roster, but the Dodgers’ gluttony (affectionate) is unmatched, and they’re reportedly shopping veteran reliever Ryan Brasier, among others, to accommodate new blood. Initially, that seemed to just mean Yates, but new reports suggest that his won’t be the last deal the Dodgers dole out this offseason.
Could the Dodgers stop after securing Yates? Yes. Will they? Seems like no.
Pat Ragazzo reported that Dodgers scouts had been in attendance at a bullpen session thrown by former Braves reliever Tyler Matzek, and had been showing interest in former Yankees and Padres reliever Tim Hill, who blanked the Dodgers in 2 2/3 innings over three World Series games last year.
Dodgers reportedly interested in relievers Tyler Matzek and Tim Hill
Matzek is probably remembered best by Dodgers fans for taking the online equivalent of the longest home run trot ever after winning the World Series with the Braves 2021. He at’ed the Dodgers on Thanksgiving that year, tweeting, “Braves, what are we eating? Astros for the main, Dodgers for the side and a cold Brewers to wash it down?” And he made fun of the Dodgers’ 2020 Fall Classic win the following February.
To be fair, Matzek was exceptional during Atlanta’s 2021 postseason run, pitching 15 2/3 innings for a 1.72 ERA, but he had a swift fall from grace when he underwent Tommy John during their 2022 run and came back in 2024 only to give up 11 runs in the 10 innings he pitched. If the Dodgers are really interested, it’d be surprising if they give him anything other than a minor league deal.
Hill pitched 67 innings last season for the White Sox and Yankees, and is probably best known as the guy who was warming up in the bullpen next to Nestor Cortes during Game 1 of last year’s World Series but who the Yankees did not opt to put in. Hill hit a stride when he got to the Bronx, pitching to a 2.05 ERA over 44 innings.
Unlike Matzek, Hill can and should expect a major league contract. Again, do the Dodgers need him? Probably not. Will they still chase him just because they can? Yep.
