Dodgers & Orioles Complete Trade

Hours after the Baltimore Orioles designated right-hander Chayce McDermott for assignment last week, the trade market opened up, and the team that answered the phone was the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

The deal sends McDermott to LA in exchange for minor league righty Axel Perez.

McDermott will be optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he'll get a fresh start under the organization that has turned more pitching reclamation projects into useful big league arms than almost anyone in the sport. 

The Dodgers already had a 40-man vacancy, so no additional roster moves were needed to complete the transaction.

Who McDermott Is & What Went Wrong

Two years ago, McDermott looked like a legitimate piece of Baltimore's pitching future. 

A fourth-round pick out of Ball State, he worked his way through the Orioles system and put together back-to-back impressive minor league seasons, with 119 innings of 3.10 ERA ball split between Double-A and Triple-A, followed by 100 innings of 3.78 ERA work entirely in Triple-A. 

Heyman: Chayce McDermott to be traded to the Dodgers.

— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) April 16, 2026

He made a brief MLB debut in 2024, tossing four innings. It looked like a formality before a sustained call-up. Then 2025 happened. McDermott was roughed up for a 6.91 ERA across 11 starts at the Triple-A level, surrendering 43 hits and 36 walks in just 43 innings with six home runs and seven wild pitches along the way. 

The command issues that have always been the biggest knock on his profile fully materialized. Baltimore moved him to the bullpen mid-season, and he settled down, posting a 1.76 ERA and an 18-to-7 K/BB ratio across his final 15.1 innings. 

This season in Norfolk, he's been back to struggling, giving up four runs on five hits and six walks in 5.1 innings, and Baltimore pulled the plug. 

The Dodgers' Play Here

This is a transaction the Dodgers make in volume. They'll pick up a former prospect with command issues, stuff worth developing, and something left to prove, ship him to Oklahoma City, and see what their developmental staff can unlock. 

Sometimes it works, often it doesn't, but the cost is essentially zero, and McDermott still has options remaining, so there's no urgency to rush the decision. 

Chayce McDermott out of the bullpen 👀pic.twitter.com/NB0qfcM63Q

— ZFarm (@ZFARM_) February 21, 2026

He's 25 years old, throws 94-plus mph, and the underlying ability that made him a top Baltimore prospect hasn't completely evaporated. 

The Orioles dealt him at peak uncertainty about his value, after two rough stints but before any real verdict on whether a change of environment could help. 

Photo Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images