The Los Angeles Dodgers agreed to terms with four arbitration-eligible players ahead of the Jan. 9 deadline, with Michael Kopech and Evan Phillips among the group.
Kopech and Phillips headlined the Dodgers’ arbitration-eligible players for 2025, with fellow relievers Anthony Banda and Brusdar Graterol also included. The Dodgers bullpen is filled with controllable arms, with cost being one area the front office has kept relatively in check.
Teams and players were required to exchange salary figures before the 10 a.m. PT deadline on Thursday, and projections for eligible Dodgers were nearly on the money. The only name to not agree to terms is left-hander Alex Vesia, who filed for a different amount than the team had.
Dodgers arbitration deals
Michael Kopech
Kopech and the Dodgers avoided arbitration by agreeing to a $5.2 million contract for his final year of arbitration.
Projections per MLB Trade Rumors had Kopech at the exact number he signed for.
Kopech went 4-0 with six saves, a 1.13 ERA, 2.54 FIP and 0.79 WHIP across 24 appearances for the Dodgers last season. He spoke on the rejuvenation he went through following his trade from the Chicago White Sox, playing a key role for his new club en route to a World Series title.
Evan Phillips
Coming off an up and down stretch, Phillips again was a strong member of the Dodgers bullpen, going 5-1 with a 3.62 ERA, 3.28 FIP and 1.19 WHIP.
Phillips struggled to get left-handed hitters out, but when he was on, his stuff played to where the Dodgers could rely on his steady and stellar production. Going through a tough final stretch of games, Phillips’ entire body of work wasn’t as rough.
He reportedly agreed to a one-year deal worth $6.1 million, just below projections.
Brusdar Graterol
Coming off right shoulder surgery, some hip trouble and ongoing right shoulder inflammation, Graterol was limited to just seven games last season.
He was healthy enough to return for three games in the World Series against the New York Yankees. The Dodgers announced he underwent offseason shoulder surgery, and is expected to miss the first half of 2025.
Graterol and the Dodgers settled on a $2.8 million contract, avoiding arbitration.
Anthony Banda
In his first year with the Dodgers, Banda found himself in a resurgent role. Doing what they do best, the 31-year-old became a specialized weapon out of the bullpen, as he posted a 3.08 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, with 50 strikeouts across 48 games.
Banda’s dominance continued throughout the playoffs, as he carried a 1.13 ERA with 11 strikeouts over 10 games (eight innings).
The Dodgers and Banda settled on a one-year deal worth $1 million. He is under team control through the 2027 season.
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