Dodgers Grab McDermott From Baltimore in Mid-Season Pitcher Swap
The Los Angeles Dodgers made a move at the pitcher position Thursday, acquiring right-hander Chayce McDermott from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for right-hander Axel Perez. It's a classic organizational trade that speaks to where both teams are in their development cycles and rotation needs.
Who Is McDermott?
McDermott is a 27-year-old right-hander who was drafted 132nd overall by Houston back in 2021 out of Ball State University. He's been a minor league grinder for a few years now. This season with Triple-A Norfolk, he's 1-0 with a 6.75 ERA across five appearances. Over his entire minor league career, the guy is 22-24 with a 4.38 ERA in 133 games. He got a cup of coffee in the majors back in 2024, making his one and only start where he gave up three runs in four innings. Not exactly eye-popping stuff, but the Dodgers clearly see something they want to develop.
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Going the other way is 20-year-old right-hander Axel Perez, a young prospect signed as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 2024. Perez last appeared in 2025 action for the Dominican Summer League Dodgers, where he went 1-1 with a 5.48 ERA in 10 games. He's still very much in the early stages of his professional career, so this trade essentially swaps a veteran minor leaguer (McDermott) for a younger prospect (Perez) headed in the other direction.
These kinds of under-the-radar trades happen all the time in April as teams shuffle depth pieces around and look for the right fit for their system. Neither guy is lighting the world on fire, but one organization's fringe prospect is another's lottery ticket.
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