Connor Brogdon’s Wild Ride: From One-Inning Dodger to Cleveland’s Latest Project
In back-to-back seasons, the Dodgers have found themselves in a familiar - and frustrating - spot: scrambling for healthy arms. Despite a splashy offseason filled with high-profile pitching additions, 2025 looked a lot like 2024 for Los Angeles. The team cycled through 40 different pitchers in each season, a staggering number that speaks more to survival than strategy.
And while some of those names are now long forgotten - think Julian Fernandez, JP Feyereisen, Paul Gervase, José Ureña, Jack Little, Ryan Loutos - one stands out for a very specific reason: Connor Brogdon.
Brogdon's time in Dodger blue was blink-and-you-missed-it. Acquired early in the 2024 season from the Phillies in exchange for minor leaguer Benony Robles, Brogdon arrived just days after being designated for assignment in Philadelphia - and just one day after giving up a grand slam. The Dodgers weren’t yet in full injury-crisis mode at that point, but they saw something worth taking a shot on.
That shot lasted exactly one inning.
In his Dodgers debut against the Twins on April 9, Brogdon gave up two home runs in a single frame. Then came the injury: plantar fasciitis.
He hit the injured list and never made it back to the mound for L.A. He was eventually outrighted to the minors, declined the assignment, and signed a minor league deal with the Angels.
Fast forward through a rough 2025 with Anaheim - 47 innings, a 5.55 ERA, and 11 home runs allowed - and Brogdon is somehow back on a major league roster. The Guardians, known for their ability to squeeze value out of overlooked arms, signed him to a $900,000 major league deal.
It’s a surprising move on the surface. Brogdon hasn’t exactly inspired confidence lately, especially with his tendency to give up the long ball.
But Cleveland’s track record with reclamation projects is worth noting. Just last season, they turned journeyman Jakob Junis - who came in with a career 4.48 ERA - into a sub-3.00 ERA contributor.
That’s not luck; that’s development.
And while the Guardians' bullpen wasn’t quite as dominant in 2025 as it was in 2024, it still had its moments. Emmanuel Clase continues to be one of the nastiest closers in the game, and guys like Hunter Gaddis, Cade Smith, and Tim Herrin helped form a late-inning unit that could shut down just about anyone when they were on. Smith, in particular, held his own again this season.
That’s the environment Brogdon walks into - a bullpen that knows how to get the best out of its pitchers. The Guardians clearly believe there’s something left to unlock.
Maybe it’s a tweak in pitch usage. Maybe it’s mechanical.
Maybe it’s mental. Whatever the case, they’re betting $900,000 that they can do what the Dodgers and Angels couldn’t.
As for the Dodgers, their pitching infrastructure is still one of the best in baseball when it comes to development. The issue hasn’t been coaching - it’s been health. Brogdon’s one-inning cameo doesn’t say much about what could’ve been, but it does underscore the volatility of bullpen arms and the razor-thin margin between being a contributor and being out of the league.
Now, Brogdon gets another shot, this time in Cleveland. If there’s a place for a pitcher to bounce back, it might just be there. But given how his last few seasons have gone, the Guardians are going to need to work some magic.