Not long after winning the second of back-to-back World Series titles, the Los Angeles Dodgers front office was back to work with a flurry of moves as the offseason process began.
It included exercising team options on Max Muncy and Alex Vesia for the 2026 season and making some additions to the 40-man roster.
In order to make room for Ryan Ward and Robinson Ortiz, Justin Dean and Michael Grove were outrighted to Triple-A Oklahoma City, and Tony Gonsolin was designated for assignment.
While the Dodgers might have hoped to keep Dean in the organization, he was quickly claimed off waivers by the San Francisco Giants.
Dean reflected on his short but impactful stint with the Dodgers and thanked the organization for the impact it had on his life.
“Thank you L.A. for changing my life!” Dean wrote in the Instagram caption.
The 28-year-old served as a defensive replacement for the Dodgers throughout the postseason, taking the place of Teoscar Hernández when the team had a lead to protect.
Dean signed a Minor League contract with the Dodgers last offseason after seven years in the Atlanta Braves organization. The outfielder made his MLB debut with L.A. in 2025, playing in 18 games during the regular season.
Dean’s role with the Dodgers was simple but he played it to perfection. He converted all six chances into putouts and made the crucial decision to signal for a dead ball during a pivotal play in Game 6 of the World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Dodgers need to address their outfield this offseason, but Dean doesn’t fit the bill as an everyday starter for a World Series contender. The team will be looking toward free agency to fix their outfield problems.
Justin Dean joined Dodgers rookies to wear MLB debut patch
Dean joined a long list of Dodgers rookies to wear an MLB debut patch on his jersey this season with his appearance as a defensive replacement in center field on Aug. 8, coincidentally, against the Jays.
Michael Busch was the first Dodgers rookie to receive the special jersey patch. He has since been joined by Bryan Hudson, Nick Robertson, Bobby Miller, Gavin Stone, Ricky Vanasco, Landon Knack, Andy Pages, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Justin Wrobleski, River Ryan, Ben Casparius, Roki Sasaki, Jack Dreyer, Hyeseong Kim, Dalton Rushing, Jack Little, Alex Freeland and Dean.
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