The MLB offseason is shaping up to be an exciting one with a bevy of talent hitting the market and the Los Angeles Dodgers figuring to be heavily in the mix for marquee players such as Roki Sasaki and potentially Juan Soto.
But another wrinkle to free agency is a wave of Minor League players who are no longer under contract. That’s of particular note for an organization like the Dodgers due to their reliance on depth.
Of the 17 Dodgers Minor League free agents, the Triple-A Oklahoma City Comets lead the way with nine, followed by the Double-A Tulsa Drillers with six, and High-A Great Lakes Loons with two.
Breaking that list down even further, there are 10 relievers, one starter, four infielders and two outfielders.
Among the 10 Minor League relief pitchers, Jon Duplantier has prior MLB experience. The 30-year-old was drafted in the third-round pick by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2016 and has pitched 49.2 innings in the Majors.
Duplantier signed with the Dodgers earlier this season after being released by the New York Mets. It was Duplantier’s second stint with the Dodgers after last being in the organization in 2022.
Duplantier was mainly a bullpen arm with the Dodgers that year, but all six of his appearances in 2024 were as a starter. He finished with a 3.56 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 41 strikeouts in 30.1 innings.
Of the Dodgers’ Minor League free agents, John Rooney is the only pitcher to be drafted by the team. In the 2018 MLB Draft, the Dodgers selected Rooney in the third round out of Hofstra University.
After a very good 2023 season, Rooney was unable to completely replicate that success in his first full season at the Triple-A level. However, he did show growth with the second-best strikeout rate of his career at 10.59.
Jordan Lyles is a longtime MLB veteran who joined the Dodgers on a Minor League deal at the middle of the year after being released by the Kansas City Royals. He made five appearances for Oklahoma City, pitching to a 6.46 ERA across 15.1 innings.
Jeisson Cabrera, Tanner Dodson, Sauryn Lao and Michael Martinez are all relatively young relievers who found success in one form or another this past season. Martinez was the most impressive, with a 1.91 ERA in 42.1 innings, mostly all of which came with the Loons.
Drew Avans had the most productive offensive season of any Dodgers’ Minor League free agents. The 2018 Draft pick reached the Triple-A level in just his third season as a professional. Avans has had a very productive Minor League career, batting .273/.367/.784 over six seasons.
Alan Trejo enjoyed a productive 59 games with Oklahoma City after he and the Colorado Rockies parted ways in 2024. Trejo first broke into the Majors with the Rockies in 2021 and has 174 MLB games under his belt.
Avans and Trejo should both be options for the Dodgers to re-sign, along with a handful of the relievers. The rest of the potential losses will either be replaced with internal promotions or outside Minor League free agent signings.
List of Dodgers Minor League Free Agents
RHP Jeisson Cabrera (A+)
RHP Tanner Dodson (AAA)
RHP Jon Duplantier (AAA)
RHP Kevin Gowdy (AAA)
RHP Sauryn Lao (AAA)
RHP Jordan Lyles (AAA)
RHP Michael Martinez (AA)
RHP Juan Morillo (AA)
LHP Jorge Benitez (AA)
LHP Franklin De La Paz (A+)
LHP John Rooney (AAA)
C Chris Okey (AAA)
3B Brendon Davis (AA)
SS Cristian Santana (AA)
SS Alan Trejo (AAA)
OF Drew Avans (AAA)
OF Donovan Casey (AA)
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