The Los Angeles Dodgers 40-man roster has remained near-full or without any open spaces throughout much of the offseason. Some of that stems from the team tendering a contract to players who are eligible for salary arbitration for the 2025 season.
Connor Brogdon was on track to potentially be among them, but he elected free agency after being outrighted off the Dodgers’ 40-man roster.
So too was Dustin May, but he and the Dodgers agreed to terms on a one-year contract for the 2025 season before the tender deadline arrived.
Tony Gonsolin also was among the Dodgers’ arbitration-eligible players but he agreed to a one-year contract as well.
Gavin Lux was part of the Dodgers’ arbitration players but he now will go through that process with the Cincinnati Reds after being traded.
Thus, the group of Dodgers arbitration players consisted of Anthony Banda, Brusdar Graterol, Michael Kopech, Evan Phillips and Alex Vesia.
Each of the aforementioned players has three or more years of Major League service time but less than six years, which makes them eligible for salary arbitration for the 2025 season.
Although the Dodgers retained the rights to the group, they are still not officially under contract for this season. The Dodgers will continue to discuss a new contract with each, and if they have not agreed on a salary by the Jan. 9, 2025 deadline, the team and player exchange salary figures for the upcoming season.
If necessary, MLB arbitration hearings will be held from Jan. 27-Feb. 14. After listening to arguments from both parties, a three-person panel selects the figure of either the player or team, but not one in between, as the salary for the upcoming season.
Teams can continue negotiating contract terms beyond the deadline, but Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman historically has operated under a file and trial approach. Exceptions have proven to be when signing players to a multi-year contract.
While neither was poised to go through the arbitration process this offseason, Brent Honeywell and Zach Logue were both non-tendered at the November and became free agents as they were removed from the Dodgers’ 40-man roster.
It’s plausible Honeywell will be re-signed to a Minor League contract.
Dodgers arbitration players for 2025
Anthony Banda
Banda is arbitration-eligible for the first time in his career. He appeared in a combined 90 games while pitching for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Tampa Bay Rays, New York Mets, Pittsburgh Pirates, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees and Washington Nationals from 2017-2023.
But it was with the Dodgers that the left-hander carved out a significant role. Banda’s 48 games this past season set a career high.
MLB Trade Rumors has predicted Banda’s salary for 2025 will be $1.1 million.
Tony Gonsolin
Gonsolin made a surprising bid to potentially pitch for the Dodgers late in the 2024 season or playoffs before the team ultimately decided to look ahead to next year. Gonsolin had Tommy John surgery on Sept. 1, 2023.
He previously signed a two-year, $6.65 million contract extension in February 2023 to avoid arbitration. Gonsolin’s salary for the 2025 season matches the $5.4 million projected by MLB Trade Rumors.
Brusdar Graterol
Graterol is going through arbitration for a second time in his career but does so while on the mend from right shoulder surgery. Hip trouble and right shoulder inflammation limited him to just seven games this past season.
However, Graterol returned in time for the World Series and made three appearances against the New York Yankees.
MLB Trade Rumors projected a $2.7 million salary for Graterol, though that figure was posted prior to news of his offseason shoulder surgery.
Michael Kopech
The Dodgers acquired Kopech at the 2024 trade deadline and he went on to become one of their key high-leverage relievers.
Kopech is projected to earn a $5.2 million salary in his final season of arbitration.
Dustin May
Dustin May was poised to take on a larger role in 2023 but required season-ending elbow surgery. That entailed a repair of May’s right flexor tendon in addition to an ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) reconstruction revision from a previous Tommy John operation.
A potential return during the second half of the 2024 season was then ruled out when May surprisingly needed to have esophageal surgery and was ruled out for the rest of the year.
May’s 2025 salary of $2.135 million matches projection by MLB Trade Rumors. The right-hander was arbitration-eligible for the third time in his career.
Evan Phillips
Phillips had another successful season while at times taking on the Dodgers closer role and in other stretches serving as their fireman. Unfortunately, his year ended with a right shoulder injury that prevented Phillips from being available for the World Series.
MLB Trade Rumors projected Phillips’ salary for 2025 to be $6.2 million in his second time going through arbitration.
Alex Vesia
Vesia also is arbitration-eligible for a second time. He appeared in a career-high 67 games and by some statistics had his best season.
MLB Trade Rumors believes Vesia’s salary for the 2025 season will be in the neighborhood of $1.9 million.
Dodgers arbitration hearings history
The Dodgers will continue to discuss a new contract with the players who were tendered a contract.
Although teams can continue negotiating contract terms beyond the deadline to exchange salary figures, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman historically has operated under a file and trial approach. Exceptions have proven to be when signing players to a multi-year contract.
The Dodgers’ last arbitration hearings were with Pedro Baez and Joc Pederson in 2020. Pederson filed for a $9.5 million salary, and the Dodgers countered by submitting for $7.75 million. MLB Trade Rumors projected an $8.5 million salary for Pederson, but the arbitration panel wound up siding with the Dodgers’ figure.
Baez won his arbitration case and received a $4 million salary for the 2020 season. The Dodgers had countered at $3.5 million, while MLB Trade Rumors projected a $3.3 million salary.
Before cases with Baez and Pederson, the Dodgers’ most recent arbitration hearing was against Joe Beimel in 2007, which they won.
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