Amid the league-wide roster settling on Monday at the major league level, hundreds of players were declared minor league free agents, most of whom after at least six seasons of their contracts getting renewed. As usual, Matt Eddy at Baseball America compiled and sorted all the players, totaling 504 in all.
Thirteen Dodgers were reached minor league free agency. Not to be confused with outfielder Alek Thomas and catcher Ben Rortvedt, who, as players with at least three years of major league service
time who were sent outright to the minors, elected free agency in September and October, respectively.
Of this baker’s dozen of Dodgers minor league free agents, three spent time on the 40-man roster at some point in 2026, two played in the majors, and five more were non-roster invitees during spring training. Here is a little bit on all 13 players who are now free agents.
Spent time on 40-man roster
We’ll go deeper into these players with their major league season reviews, starting in November.
Charlie Barnes: Claimed off waivers from the Chicago Cubs in May, Barnes pitched in four games for the Dodgers in his five major league stints with them. Was optioned three times and sent outright off the 40-man roster three other times, the kind of roster intermittence MLB owners are trying to curtail with their latest labor proposal to the Players Association.
Cole Irvin: Veteran left-hander returned stateside after a season in Korea and the 32-year-old led the Pacific Coast League in ERA (3.33) and wins (12) in his 28 starts, with his 137 2/3 innings two outs shy of the league lead. Pitched once for the Dodgers in a bullpen-reset performance, allowing six runs in six innings.
Ryan Fitzgerald: Claimed off waivers from Minnesota in January, he spent four days on the 40-man roster and played the entire season in Triple-A. Hit .315/.375/.485 with a 119 wRC+ while starting games at all four infield positions and both corner outfield spots. Led entire minor leagues with 172 hits.
Old friends, gone again
Yency Almonte: Signed to a minor league deal in February, the veteran right-hander pitched once in spring training and allowed three runs. He spent the entire season on the injured list in Triple-A.
Nick Robertson: Signed to a minor league contract in January, the right-hander started in Double-A and didn’t allow a run in any of his first 18 games and 25 1/3 innings. Promoted to Triple-A in June, Robertson put up a 1.13 ERA in 46 games with 68 strikeouts (a 31.8-percent strikeout rate) and 18 walks in 55 2/3 innings.
Other non-roster invitees
Jerming Rosario: Signed as an amateur out of the Dominican Republic in July 2018, the right-hander was a longtime starter before switching to relief in 2025 in Double-A. This year with Triple-A Oklahoma City, Rosario had a 3.17 ERA with four saves, 80 strikeouts (a 27.7-percent strikeout rate), and 36 walks in 65 1/3 innings.
Nelson Quiroz: The Dodgers signed Quiroz out of Mexico in 2019. He played only nine games for Double-A Tulsa, matching his rehab output in the Arizona Complex League. Quiroz missed over three months on one injured-list stint, then another few weeks beginning in late August to close out his season.
Ryder Ryan: Pitched for five months with his brother before River was shipped off to Detroit in the Tarik Skubal deal. The 31-year-old had a swingman role with Oklahoma City, with 11 starts and 15 relief appearances. He put up a 5.19 ERA in 76 1/3 innings with 58 strikeouts and 33 walks.
Matt Gorski: Picked up on a minor league deal by the Dodgers in 2025, he spent the rest of that season on the injured list, then missed the first three months of this season on the IL before joining Oklahoma City in July. The first baseman hit .223/.308/.388 with five home runs in 41 games for the Comets, and turns 29 in December.
Battery mates
Christian Suárez: Signed out of Venezuela in 2018, the left-hander put up a 4.67 ERA in 50 games in his third year with Double-A Tulsa, with 80 strikeouts and 34 walks in 69 1/3 innings. Turns 26 on November 25.
Yeiner Fernández: Signed out of Venezuela in 2019, Fernández combined infield play at second and third base along with his catching duties. Only played in seven games this year for Tulsa in April before landing on the injured list, where he stayed the rest of the season.
Chadwick Tromp: Amid various catching injuries and maneuvering, the Dodgers signed veteran Chadwick Tromp to a minor league deal in August, and he finished out the season in Triple-A, hitting .220/.400/.341 in 18 games for Oklahoma City.
One more position player
José Meza: Signed out of Venezuela in 2019, the right-hander hit .245/.345/.366 with 10 home runs, 12 doubles, 13 stolen bases, and a 90 wRC for High-A Great Lakes this season, while playing first base, right field, left field, plus 37 starts as designated hitter. He turns 24 in April.
