LOS ANGELES — Run it back.
It’s an easy applause line at a victory parade and rally. But players have free will and can sign elsewhere if they reach free agency. Bringing back a largely-unchanged roster can be problematic anyway. There are no guarantees that the same roster has the same alchemy a year later.
The Dodgers do have a largely stable roster as the offseason begins. Here’s a look at what they have to work with this winter.
UNDER CONTRACT (with 2026 salary)
• DH/SP Shohei Ohtani, signed through 2033 ($2 million, plus deferred money) – Ohtani isn’t going anywhere … except to New York in January to collect his fourth MVP award.
• SS Mookie Betts, signed through 2032 ($25 million, plus deferred money) – Betts had his worst offensive season, but he gets a year’s grace to prove it was related to his early-season illness and the commitment to learning a new position.
• 1B Freddie Freeman, signed through 2027 ($27 million, plus deferred money) – At 36, signs of aging are inevitable but Freeman is still one of the best hitters in the National League.
• LHP Blake Snell, signed through 2029 ($26 million, plus deferred money) – Snell was very good – when he pitched. More than 11 regular-season starts would be nice, though.
• RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, signed through 2035 ($12 million) – Yamamoto emerged as the staff ace during the regular season then turned into a bulldog in the postseason.
• RHP Tyler Glasnow, signed through 2028 ($30 million) – Nothing about Glasnow’s first two seasons with the Dodgers has changed the label of a talented pitcher who can’t stay healthy.
• C Will Smith, signed though 2033 ($13 million, plus deferred money) – Signing a catcher to a 10-year deal is a questionable decision, but Smith is the under-recognized rock on which this team relies.
• OF Teoscar Hernandez, signed through 2027 ($12 million, plus deferred money) – Getting his three-year contract seemed to take the edge off Hernandez, whose offense and defense were both diminished in 2024.
• LHP Tanner Scott, signed through 2028 ($11 million) – Andrew Friedman broke from his track record to give big money to a reliever. Scott has three more years to show that wasn’t a mistake.
• RHP Blake Treinen, signed through 2026 ($11 million) – When Treinen returned from a forearm injury, he looked like a pitcher with very little left.
• 3B Max Muncy, signed through 2026 ($10 million) – Picking up his team-friendly option year was a no-brainer even with his injury history the past two seasons.
• IF/OF Tommy Edman, signed through 2029 ($12.25 million) – Injuries cut into Edman’s versatility last season … so maybe just make him a second baseman.
• LHP Alex Vesia, signed through 2026 ($3.65 million) – Vesia has been a critical part of the bullpen – on the field and off – over the past few years.
• IF/OF Hyeseong Kim, signed through 2027 ($3.75 million) – Kim’s speed and defense are valuable but he has yet to convincingly show he can be a consistent enough hitter to take advantage of those assets.
FREE AGENTS (with 2025 salary)
• IF Miguel Rojas ($5 million) – The valuable clubhouse leader and exceptional defender wants to play one more year before retiring. And he would like it to be in Los Angeles.
• OF/IF Kiké Hernandez ($6.5 million) – The fan favorite had a poor regular season but once again proved invaluable in October.
• RHP Michael Kopech ($5.2 million) – The Dodgers have to decide if they want to gamble on another year with the inconsistent and oft-injured Kopech.
• OF Michael Conforto ($17 million) – Godspeed and good luck to a free-agent gamble the Dodgers lost.
• RHP Kirby Yates ($13 million) – The 38-year-old reliever should probably use this as an opportunity to retire with a World Series ring.
ARBITRATION-ELIGIBLE (with 2025 salary)
• RHP Evan Phillips ($6.1 million) – Phillips’ absence due to Tommy John surgery was reflected in the bullpen’s 2025 struggles.
• RHP Brusdar Graterol ($2.8 million) – Graterol is an ‘X’ factor in next year’s bullpen after missing most of two seasons with shoulder problems that led to surgery.
• RHP Brock Stewart ($870,000) – The Dodgers gambled on his health at the trade deadline and lost. He will be returning from a second shoulder surgery in 2026.
• LHP Anthony Banda ($1 million) – DFA’d by eight organizations and now a two-time World Series champion – Banda proudly crowed about his career path in the victorious clubhouse.
• C Ben Rortvedt ($1.125 million) – Given the competition (Brock Stewart, Alex Call, Paul Gervase), Rortvedt was the Dodgers’ best trade-deadline acquisition in 2025.
• OF Alex Call ($769,100) – Call’s contributions after being acquired at the deadline were minimal and he could be a non-tender candidate.
UNDER CLUB CONTROL (0-3 years service time)
• OF Andy Pages – Even though he was inconsistent, Pages’ development made leaps and bounds from the start of the 2025 season.
• RHP Emmet Sheehan – Valuable depth behind the highly-paid starting pitchers, Sheehan could play a big role in 2026.
• LHP Jack Dreyer – Dreyer was an unknown commodity when he reported to spring training, but he went start to finish as a reliable bullpen piece.
• C Dalton Rushing – Following in the footsteps of Miguel Vargas and Michael Busch, Rushing’s value to the Dodgers appears to be as a trade chip.
• LHP Justin Wrobleski – Wrobleski demonstrated an ability to handle a swingman role well enough to figure into the 2026 picture.
• RHP Gavin Stone – Remember Gavin Stone? He will be returning from shoulder surgery at some point next year.
• RHP Will Klein – Klein’s World Series heroics are the stuff of legend, but he should have a future in the Dodgers’ bullpen.
• RHP Roki Sasaki – Can Sasaki’s breakthrough as a closer translate into reaching his potential as a starter? Stay tuned.
• RHP Landon Knack – Knack ate up innings for the Dodgers the past two seasons but the results seemed to regress in 2025.
• RHP Kyle Hurt – Hurt returned from Tommy John surgery late in 2025 and will almost certainly be seen at the major-league level in 2026.
• RHP Ben Casparius – Casparius made contributions as a swingman in 2025, but he might be better served if the Dodgers settle on one role for him.
• RHP Edgardo Henriquez – Henriquez has potential as a dynamic bullpen piece but has to mature as a pitcher.
• IF Alex Freeland – Freeland’s immediate future could be tied to the Dodgers’ decisions on re-signing (or not) veterans Kiké Hernandez and/or Miguel Rojas.
• RHP Paul Gervase – Six-foot-10 ‘Tall Paul’ is a candidate to spend at least some time in the Dodgers’ bullpen next year.
