The Los Angeles Dodgers have made their first transaction of the offseason—it’s just not the one fans were hoping to see.
On Monday, the Dodgers claimed utility man Christian Cairo from the New York Mets.
Cairo, 25, was claimed by the Mets on Sept. 15, after the Philadelphia Phillies designated him for assignment days earlier. The Mets signed him to a split major league contract on Nov. 2, but was designated for assignment later that same day.
Cairo was drafted by the Cleveland Guardians in the fourth round of the 2019 MLB Draft. Cairo has also been a member of the Atlanta Braves organization, having been drafted by the team in the 2024 Rule 5 Draft.
Cairo has never played in the Major Leagues, having logged exclusively time in the Minors. He’s spent the last three seasons playing primarily in Triple A, where he played multiple positions but struggled at the plate.
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In 311 appearances at the Triple A level, his batting average is .233 with 228 career hits, including only eight home runs. He’s officially listed as a shortstop, and has played other infield positions, but has also logged minutes at all three outfield spots.
Scouting reports describe Cairo as a polished defender with a good baseball IQ who lacks power and bat speed to make him a realistic offensive threat. He has had some success as a base-runner, but isn’t an elite bag thief by any means.
By claiming the Bakersfield-born Cairo, the Dodgers have now officially made their first move of the offseason. The team’s 40-man roster is up to 38 with Cairo’s inclusion.
Will Christian Cairo make the Dodgers roster?
Cairo’s path to the Major Leagues is with his glove, not his bat. He’ll have a chance to compete for a backup role with the retirement of World Series hero Miguel Rojas and potential departure of Kiké Hernández, but he’ll have stiff competition.
His chances of leapfrogging Alex Freeland or Hyeseong Kim are probably pretty slim.
He is likely to be sent to Oklahoma City to compete for a spot on the defending Pacific Coast League champions, with the hope of being called to the Bigs as an injury replacement.
Aside from a guaranteed spot on a Major League roster, he’s probably in the best position to succeed with the Dodgers organization, which has a knack for getting the best out of flawed prospects, particularly those who are gifted gloves.
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Assuming Kim and Freeland spend a significant portion of the upcoming season in the Majors, there should be ample opportunity for Cairo to get playing time in Oklahoma and wait for the call-up.
That being said, I wouldn’t be surprised if the only action he gets in a Dodgers uniform is in Spring Training. But, there are worse things on earth than getting the opportunity to play with multiple future Hall-of-Famers and learn from one of the top coaching staffs in all of baseball.
It all hinges on just how good Christian Cairo’s glove is and if there’s any chance he can develop a near-average bat.
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