The Los Angeles Dodgers have signed veteran right-hander Yency Almonte, whom they traded to Chicago in the January 2024 deal that also sent Michael Busch to the Cubs.

MORE:Cubs lose 5-year veteran infielder to Blue Jays

Almonte, 31, hasn’t pitched at the big league level since 2024, when injuries limited him to 17 games. He’s 8-6 with a 4.44 ERA in 213 career games, all out of the bullpen, for the Colorado Rockies (2018-21), Dodgers and Cubs.

The minor league contract brings Almonte back to the team he pitched for from 2022-23. Over two seasons in Los Angles, Almonte went 3-2 with a 3.35 ERA in 82 games.

In 2025, Almonte split the season between the Cubs’ advanced Class-A and Double-A affiliates, allowing four earned runs in 19.1 innings (1.86 ERA) in 15 games.

Almonte faces a long road if he intends to crack a bullpen bolstered by the top reliever on the free agent market, Edwin Diaz, who signed a three-year, $69 million contract with the Dodgers in December.

In 2022, his first season in Los Angeles, Almonte used his 6-foot-5 frame to his advantage, playing up his 96-mph fastball with elite extension. That season, opponents swung and missed at 33.5 percent of his pitches, and limited hard contact to the tune of a .306 slugging percentage.

— Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories on The Big Lead —

NFL: Former 49ers wide receiver announces immediate retirement from football

OLYMPICS: Mikaela Shiffrin sends 2-word message after winning Olympic gold medal

MLB: MLBPA chooses Tony Clark’s replacement one day after abrupt resignation

NFL: College quarterback who won 7 Super Bowl rings as NFL executive dies

SPORTS MEDIA: College Hall of Famer, father of Chicago Bulls coach, dies

VIRAL: Red Sox issue, retract, reissue statement about Fanatics uniform snafu

The post Dodgers re-sign pitcher traded in blockbuster deal with Cubs appeared first on The Big Lead.