The 2025 MLB season is officially coming to a close, the Los Angeles Dodgers are on top of the baseball world once again as back-to-back World Series Champions.
As MLB’s hot stove season is now upon us, free agents across the league are eligible to sign wherever they choose.
On Thursday, the Dodgers made a flurry of roster moves, which included Designating for Assignment starter Tony Gonsolin. Gonsolin was shut down for the remainder of the 2025 season earlier in the summer, but he only made sevent starts this season, and 27 total over the past three seasons.
Dodgers DFA Tony Gonsolin; Make Other Moves Ahead of Free Agency
Aside from designating Tony Gonsolin for assignment, Los Angeles also announced a few other roster moves.
The other moves included adding outfielder Ryan Ward and Robinson Ortiz  to the 40-man roster, and outrighting Justin Dean and Michael Grove.
Justin Dean played a crucial role in the 2025 Dodgers Fall Classic title run, as he often came in as a pinch-runner and defensive replacement, and made a huge play in game six of the World Series to prevent the Blue Jays from scoring crucial runs that could have led them to being the WS Champs. Dean has already been picked up by the San Francisco Giants, and will likely be used in the same role as he was with the Dodgers.
As for the Tony Gonsolin move, he was once an All-Star back in 2022, but was just never the same after that. In 2023, he threw 103 innings, but posted a 4.98 ERA. In 36 innings this season, Gonsolin recorded a 5.00 ERA.
Back in August, Gonsolin underwent a Tommy John revision surgery, which was his second major elbow surgery in recent years, and he is expected to miss most of the 2026 season. He is under contract for 2026 before hitting free agency, but Los Angeles decided to get ahead of it by designating him for assignment. Assuming he clears waivers, any MLB team will be eligible to sign him in the coming days.
A back injury is what prevented Gonsolin from playing in the first month of the season, but once the elbow injury popped up again, he was sidelined for the rest of the season.
Other Dodgers Notes Ahead of Free Agency
After a 2024 offseson where the Dodgers went out and signed several top relievers on the market, and Roki Sasaki in the international signing pool, the reports show Los Angeles is expected to target back-end relievers once again.
Los Angeles already has a stacked rotation, which ultimately carried them to another World Series victory, and the lineup is also essentially in place, aside from one outfield spot.
In other moves, Los Angeles picked up the options of Alex Vesia and Max Muncy .
After back-to-back World Series Championships, Los Angeles is poised to make another run at a third-straight title. They are linked to almost all big free agents per usual, but the most glaring hole is in left field, where Michael Conforto was a disaster signing.
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