The Los Angeles Dodgers entered the offseason with minimal areas of their roster to address, but the bullpen seemingly being among them after an inconsistent 2025 campaign.
The Dodgers invested heavily in the group last winter when they signed Tanner Scott to a four-year, $72 million contract and added Kirby Yates on a one-year deal.
Both players turned in disappointing seasons and did not contribute during the playoffs. Their struggles were part of a Dodgers bullpen that never could get into a groove because of injury and uncharacteristic poor performance.
While many expect the Dodgers to upgrade the unit this offseason, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said it is not a top priority, via Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group:
“I think we have a lot of talented relievers coming back next year and feel like it will be a strength,” Friedman said. “Obviously, there’s a lot of noise (variance) that takes place in the performance of that group but the performance is critical. So if we can augment it and enhance it we will. But I don’t feel like it’s a necessity.”
As it currently stands, the Dodgers bullpen for 2026 is set to include some combination of Scott, Alex Vesia, Blake Treinen, Anthony Banda, Will Klein, Jack Dreyer and Ben Casparius, among others.
Brusdar Graterol is also expected to return after missing the entire 2025 season, while Brock Stewart could be an option in the second half after undergoing shoulder surgery.
The Dodgers could stand to make an addition to their bullpen, but it’s hard to fault them for being optimistic about the current group.
Vesia, Banda, Klein and Dryer all had varying degrees of success, while the team is confident that Scott can bounce back. The left-hander is only one year removed from a 2024 All-Star campaign that saw him put up a 1.75 ERA in 72 innings pitched.
Will Dodgers make bullpen move?
While Friedman tempered expectations on the Dodgers making a splash in the bullpen, the team could still add to the group at some point this offseason.
They’ve been connected to New York Mets free agent Edwin Díaz, who figures to be a long shot due to his high asking price. The Dodgers also showed interest in Devin Williams before he signed a three-year, $51 million contract with the Mets.
Meanwhile, L.A. continues to be linked to former San Diego Padres closer Robert Suarez, who could pitch high-leverage innings for the team if a deal comes to fruition.
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