Mar 31, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Making his Major League debut, Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Matt Sauer (65) delivers a pitch against the Minnesota Twins in the seventh inning at Kauffman Stadium. Denny Medley-Imagn Images

LA Dodgers, Former NY Yankees Prospect Matt Sauer Agree to Minor League Deal

Originally posted on Fastball on SI | By Sam Connon | Last updated Dec 16, 2024 2:49 PM ET

The Los Angeles Dodgers are signing right-handed pitcher Matt Sauer to a minor league contract, ESPN's Kiley McDaniel reported Monday.

The deal includes an invite to the Dodgers' major league Spring Training camp in 2025.

Sauer made his MLB debut with the Kansas City Royals in 2024. The Royals selected Sauer in the Rule 5 Draft last December, but they designated him for assignment in May.

In his 14 MLB appearances as a reliever, Sauer posted a 7.71 ERA, 2.082 WHIP, 5.0 strikeouts per nine innings and a -0.2 WAR.

RHP Matt Sauer has a minor league deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, per source. Deal includes a spring training invite.

The 25-year-old was a major league Rule 5 pick of the Royals last year and was a second round pick of the Yankees in the 2017 draft.
— Kiley McDaniel (@kileymcd) December 16, 2024

After he was booted from the Royals' 40-man roster, Sauer was returned to the New York Yankees. Sauer spent the first seven years of his professional career in the Yankees' farm system.

New York selected Sauer in the second round of the 2017 MLB Draft. He was ranked among the Yankees' top-20 prospects in 2018 and 2019, but his reputation tapered off coming out of the COVID-canceled 2020 campaign.

Sauer was a starting pitcher until the end of 2023, when he was moved into the bullpen in the Arizona Fall League. He thrived in that role with Double-A Somerset in 2024, going 2-0 with a 2.63 ERA in 17 games, but he struggled to the tune of a 1-2 record and 16.20 ERA across 10 relief outings with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Between Low-A, Single-A, High-A and Double-A, Sauer boasts a 4.08 ERA and 1.204 WHIP for his career. The 25-year-old righty has yet to prove himself at higher levels, but he could provide the Dodgers with some organizational depth at the very least.

This article first appeared on Fastball on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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