There are two immutable truths in baseball: the Los Angeles Dodgers will always find another arm, and the Pittsburgh Pirates will always wonder if this is the one that gets away.
On Thursday, the Dodgers signed right-hander Ryder Ryan to a minor league contract — a transaction that barely registered on the national radar but immediately set off a familiar reflex in Pittsburgh. Former Pirate? Dodgers development lab? Say less. The dread kicked in right on cue.
Ryan isn’t some mystery box with untouched upside. Pirates fans know him well. He made 15 of his 16 career major-league appearances in Pittsburgh in 2024, posting a 5.40 ERA across 21 2/3 innings. Later that summer, the Pirates outrighted him off the roster.
Ryan elected free agency, returned on a minor league deal for 2025, and spent the entire season at Triple-A Indianapolis, where the results were… fine. A 4.79 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, and a 61:38 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 71.1 innings isn’t nothing, but it’s also not the profile of a bullpen savior.
And yet, this is how it always starts.
The Dodgers signed RHP Ryder Ryan to a minor league deal, sources tell The Athletic. Brother of Dodgers RHP River Ryan. Will make $800K if he makes the majors.
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) January 29, 2026
Former Pirates pitcher Ryder Ryan signs minor league deal with Dodgers
In Ryan, the Pirates saw a depth arm. The Dodgers saw something. A pitch shape tweak waiting to happen. A seam-shifted wake miracle. A slider that just needs a different wrist cue. A fastball that plays better when aimed two inches higher and thrown with slightly more conviction. You can already picture the headline in June: “Former Pirates reliever unlocks new gear in Dodgers bullpen.”
Is it fair? Maybe not. But Pirates fans have been trained by experience. Somewhere between Tyler Glasnow becoming an ace elsewhere, Clay Holmes turning into a Yankees closer (and then a Mets frontline starter) and seemingly random relievers finding a new level the moment they leave Pittsburgh, this paranoia has been earned the hard way.
To be clear, this isn’t a referendum on Ryan. He’s likely headed back to Triple-A, serving as depth, injury insurance, and organizational bulk. He may never throw a meaningful inning for the Dodgers. In all likelihood, he’ll spend most of 2026 riding buses, not October adrenaline.
But that’s not how the story feels in Pittsburgh — not when it’s the Dodgers making the call. Because if Ryan shows up in Chavez Ravine with a sharper breaking ball, a slightly better walk rate, and a couple high-leverage outs in a random August game, the reaction won’t be “good for him.” It’ll be “of course.”
Of course this is the guy they figured out. Of course this is the arm the Pirates couldn’t quite unlock. Of course this is another reminder that development gaps matter.
Maybe nothing comes of it. Maybe this is just a minor league signing that stays exactly what it looks like on paper. But Pirates fans have learned not to trust paper — especially when the Dodgers are involved. Sometimes the smallest moves are the ones that haunt you the most.
Romeo Doubs Could Reunite with Aaron Rodgers on the Steelers in 2026
The Green Bay Packers have multiple impending free agents that will not return to the team in 2026. Rasheed Walker, for example, has likely played his last game in a Packers uniform following his sub-par play and arrest earlier this month for having a gun in his luggage in a New York airport. Additionally, Jordan Morgan is projected to be Green Bay’s starting left tackle next season.
Another key free agent from the same draft class as Walker is wide receiver Romeo Doubs, who led the Packers in receptions and receiving yards in 2025. With Matthew Golden and Savion Williams having been selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, and with Christian Watson coming back, it is not likely that the Packers will make an attempt to bring Doubs back.
And if/when they don’t, he could reunite with Aaron Rodgers on the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Green Bay Packers WR Romeo Doubs could join Aaron Rodgers on the Pittsburgh Steelers
Doubs’ first season in the NFL was 2022, which was Rodgers’ final year as the starting quarterback of the Packers. As a rookie, Doubs had 42 receptions for 425 yards and three touchdowns while playing in 13 games. Rodgers had a 95.7 passer rating when targeting him.
And with Pittsburgh, who is now coached by Mike McCarthy, in need of some wide receiver depth, PFF thinks that the Steelers should look into signing Doubs:
“With the Steelers hiring Mike McCarthy, the team will likely invest more in its offense as it attempts to better a unit that placed 20thin EPA per play. Finding a running mate forD.K. Metcalfwould go a long way in doing so.
“Doubs has been a solid option over the last three seasons with a 78.6 PFF receiving grade. Since 2024, he also sits in the 75thpercentile in receiving grade vs. single coverage. The 25-year-old former Packer could reunite withAaron Rodgers(if he returns) and should have little trouble learning McCarthy’s terminology.”
Of course, Rodgers returning to the Steelers is no guarantee as he is contemplating retirement. He also is not under contract with Pittsburgh for 2026, so the team would need to offer him another contract as well.
That being said, it is well within the realm of possibility that Doubs catches passes from Rodgers again in 2026.