By Sunday 
Los Angeles Adds Depth to Its Bullpen with an Unexpected Move
The Los Angeles Dodgers have made an intriguing addition to their pitching staff, signing former Yankees and Mets reliever Stephen Ridings to a minor league contract. The 29-year-old right-hander, who spent last season in independent baseball, will begin the 2025 season with the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City.
A Journey Unlike Any Other
Ridings’ path to professional baseball has been anything but ordinary. In 2021, before making his MLB debut with the Yankees, he was working as a substitute teacher at Palm Beach Maritime Academy in Florida.
“Yeah, I mean I’d go to work, proctor for the day,” Ridings told MLB.com. “Then I’d show up to the gym, dressed up in my polo and khakis. I’d change in the bathroom quick, go throw, get a workout in and be done before they closed.”
Before his unexpected teaching stint, Ridings was in the Kansas City Royals’ minor league system. However, when the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the 2020 season, he took the job to make ends meet. While he kept his baseball aspirations alive, his students were mostly unaware of their teacher’s other career.
“The younger kids had no idea,” Ridings recalled. “Some of the older ones I talked to about it, they thought it was cool… They tried to Google me.”
A Comeback Story Worth Watching
Ridings’ pitching career took a turn when he trained at a gym run by Yankees director of player health and performance Eric Cressey. That connection led to an opportunity with New York, where he impressed in five MLB appearances in 2021, recording a 1.80 ERA with seven strikeouts in five innings.
Despite his success, injuries and roster moves limited his opportunities, leading him to spend 2024 with the High Point Rockers in independent baseball. There, he posted a 3.06 ERA in nine appearances, showing he still has the potential to contribute at the highest level.
What This Means for the Dodgers
For Los Angeles, signing Ridings is a low-risk, high-reward move. If he can regain his form and stay healthy, he could provide valuable bullpen depth as the season progresses. The Dodgers have a track record of turning overlooked arms into productive major leaguers, and Ridings might just be their next hidden gem.
While his teaching days are behind him, his baseball story is far from over.