Underrated Dodgers World Series contributor lands with division rival

The Los Angeles Dodgers didn’t survive 2024 because everything went according to plan. They survived because when the plan fell apart, someone like Brent Honeywell Jr. was willing to take the ball anyway.

When Los Angeles claimed Honeywell off waivers that July, it barely registered outside the transaction wire. He wasn’t a high-leverage addition. He wasn’t lighting up radar guns. He was depth — a former top prospect whose career had been derailed by Tommy John surgery, an elbow fracture, nerve issues and more setbacks than most pitchers endure in a lifetime.

But the Dodgers didn’t need flash. They just needed innings. Honeywell gave them 20 1/3 regular-season frames down the stretch and, more importantly, absorbed some of the ugliest assignments of October.

Honeywell allowed nine earned runs in 8 2/3 postseason innings — numbers that look rough in a box score. Inside the clubhouse, though, those innings were invaluable. They preserved arms for the next night. They kept the bullpen from unraveling. They bought time.

After the NLCS, Max Muncy called Honeywell one of the “heartbeats” of the team. “You need two outs? He’s got you. You need three innings? He’s got you,” Muncy said.

Honeywell even threw live batting practice during the postseason to help teammates find their timing — work that never shows up on Statcast. He was, in many ways, the embodiment of what championship teams quietly rely on: professionalism, flexibility and zero ego.

Now, Honeywell is heading to a division rival, signing a minor league deal with the San Francisco Giants.

Dodgers' quiet World Series hero Brent Honeywell Jr. signs minor league deal with Giants

On paper, it’s a low-risk depth move for San Francisco, a bullpen flier as they try to rebuild relief stability. Honeywell didn’t pitch in 2025, and the underlying metrics from his 2024 run suggested regression. There are no guarantees here.

But the Dodgers know firsthand what Honeywell can provide beyond the numbers. They know he’ll take the baseball in uncomfortable moments. They know he’ll stabilize a bullpen when injuries hit. They know he’ll do whatever is asked without blinking.

Players like Honeywell rarely dominate headlines when they leave. Stars get remembered, while role players quietly move on. Still, there’s something subtly uncomfortable about seeing one of your October grinders land in a rival organization.

Because sometimes, the difference between surviving chaos and collapsing under it isn’t an ace. It’s the guy willing to throw the third inning when nobody else wants to.