The Los Angeles Dodgers outrighted Tony Gonsolin after he was designated for assignment last week, and the veteran pitcher elected to become a free agent, the club announced.
Once the Dodgers designated Gonsolin for assignment, they had seven days to trade him, allow another team to claim him, or outright him. When a player is outrighted, they are sent to the Minor Leagues, but some players have the opportunity to reject that and become a free agent.
Players with more than five years of Major League service time can reject an assignment to the Minor Leagues, and players with more than three years of Major League service time, or who have been previously outrighted, may reject the outright assignment to become a free agent.
Gonsolin was set to enter his final year of team control through arbitration, which would have given him a raise over the $5.4 million he made during the 2025 season.
However, the right-hander underwent internal brace and flexor repair surgery on Aug. 12 that should keep him out for much of the 2026 season. The timeline for recovery is roughly eight to 10 months.
Due to the injury, Gonsolin likely didn’t fit into their plans anymore, especially with multiple other young pitchers expected to return next season, including Gavin Stone and River Ryan. He now can get the opportunity to start fresh elsewhere while completing his rehab with whatever team he catches on with.
Gonsolin previously missed the entire 2024 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, and has dealt with various other issues during his career, including forearm and shoulder injuries.
Tony Gonsolin’s Dodgers career
Gonsolin was drafted by the Dodges in the ninth round of the 2016 MLB Draft and went on to make his debut in 2019. He pitched in 86 games for the Dodgers, making 78 starts with a 3.34 ERA over 411.2 innings with 387 strikeouts.
He was an All-Star during the 2022 season, finishing the year with a 2.14 ERA in 130.1 innings with a 16-1 record. He also finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting in 2020 while pitching to a 2.31 ERA.
In his final season with the Dodgers, Gonsolin made seven starts with a 5.00 ERA before undergoing elbow surgery.
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