The Los Angeles Dodgers traded Casey Sadler to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for Minor League infielder Clayton Daniel. The deal comes one day after Sadler was designated for assignment in order to clear room for Alex Wood on the Dodgers’ 40-man roster.
The Cubs selected Daniel out of Jacksonville State University in the 31st round of the 2018 MLB Draft. He spent last season with Low-A South Bend and Double-A Tennessee, hitting a combined .305/.397/.402 with 11 doubles, three triples, two home runs and 21 RBI over 67 games.
During that time the 24-year-old primarily played second base, where he logged 323 innings between the two levels. However, Daniel also played 161 innings at shortstop, and 81 at third base.
Daniel presumably will spend time with High-A Rancho Cucamonga or Double-A Tulsa this season.
Upon making the roster move with Sadler, the Dodgers had seven days to trade, release or outright him to the Minors. Sadler was acquired last July from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for Nathan Witt.
Up to that point he had only appeared in a combined 20 games over parts of the 2014, 2015, 2018 and 2019 seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Rays. Sadler struggled with Pittsburgh but had a 1.86 ERA, 4.35 FIP and 1.09 WHIP in nine games for Tampa Bay last year.
Sadler received more opportunities with the Dodgers and also pitched for Triple-A Oklahoma City. In 24 games with L.A., he went 4-0 with one save, a 2.33 ERA, 4.40 FIP and 1.22 WHIP. Sadler only appeared in two games with OKC, allowing four runs on six hits over eight innings.
Sadler’s performance at the Major League level steadily earned him increased chances to pitch in high-leverage situations down the stretch of the season. Despite that, however, he was not included on the Dodgers’ active roster for the National League Division Series.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in our live shows, and more!T
