Los Angeles Dodgers Sign Former Yankees Pitcher

Only the Los Angeles Dodgers would sign a pitcher on the eve of Opening Day who almost certainly can't pitch until after the All-Star break. 

But that's exactly what Andrew Friedman's front office is doing, adding reliever Jake Cousins to a one-year deal worth $950,000, with another $50,000 available if he appears in five games and finishes the season on the active roster. 

Cousins underwent Tommy John surgery last June and will head straight to the injured list. 

Jake Cousins Career Stats: What the Dodgers Are Actually Getting

When Cousins has been healthy, he's been genuinely good. 

In parts of four major league seasons split between the Milwaukee Brewers and New York Yankees, he carries a 2.78 ERA across 88 games and 90 and two-thirds innings. 

He misses bats at a massive rate, fanning over 32 percent of opponents, and generates groundballs nearly half the time. 

The #Dodgers signed Jake Cousins to an MLB contract.

In addition, Bobby Miller was placed on the 60-day roster to make room on the 40-man roster.

Cousins is currently injured, however.

— Blake (@ByBlakeWilliams) March 25, 2026

His calling card is a sinker that sits around 95 miles per hour paired with a slider he throws nearly 62 percent of the time. The command has been inconsistent, with career walk rates approaching 15 percent, but the pure stuff is legitimate. 

The problem has always been staying on the field. Beyond the Tommy John, Cousins has dealt with shoulder inflammation twice, a pec strain, a biceps strain, and right elbow effusion. 

He's never thrown 50 innings in a professional season. 

Bobby Miller to the 60-Day IL and What It Means for the Dodgers' Rotation Depth

To open a 40-man spot for Cousins, right-hander Bobby Miller was transferred to the 60-day injured list with right shoulder soreness, a move that was expected, given Miller didn't throw a single inning this spring. 

His earliest possible return is May 24. 

The Dodgers are also beginning the year without Blake Snell, Brusdar Graterol, Brock Stewart, Gavin Stone, and Landon Knack, the latter dealing with a right intercostal strain that hadn't been previously disclosed. 

Tommy Edman is also on the 10-day injured list recovering from ankle surgery. It's a lot to absorb before the first pitch of the season. 

But Friedman has been through this before, as the Dodgers re-signed Evan Phillips after his own Tommy John last May, using the same philosophy. 

The Dodgers have signed reliever Jake Cousins to a MLB contract. He is recovering from Tommy John surgery that occurred in June. pic.twitter.com/gCDcuLsf7U

— The Incline: Dodgers Podcast (@TheInclinePod) March 25, 2026

At best, Cousins is a high-leverage weapon available for a pennant race and potentially a postseason run. At worst, he's a name to watch heading into next spring. 

It's worth noting that Cousins actually appeared in Game 1 of the 2024 World Series against these very Dodgers, walking Gavin Lux and allowing a single before being pulled for Nestor Cortes, who then served up Freddie Freeman's walk-off grand slam. 

He never pitched for the Yankees again after that. Now he's in a Dodgers uniform. 

Photo Credit: David Dermer-Imagn Images