LOS ANGELES — The World Series ended on Wednesday, which brings the official start of the offseason. First up was 6 a.m. PT on Thursday, with scores of players across the sport now officially free agents. Nine Dodgers are free agents, headlined by ace pitcher Tarik Skubal.
Miguel Rojas is also a free agent, though he’s retiring as a player to move into a role in the Dodgers front office. Other Dodgers free agents as of Thursday morning are Kiké Hernández, Alex Vesia, Evan Phillips, Blake Treinen,
Brusdar Graterol, Kris Bubic, and Eric Lauer.
Skubal was the Dodgers’ prized acquisition at the trade deadline, with the two-time Cy Young Award winner coming to Los Angeles on August 2 with River Ryan, Zyhir Hope, and Brady Smith headed back to the Detroit Tigers.
The left-hander had a 2.61 ERA in 10 starts down the stretch, with 70 strikeouts and 13 walks in 62 innings, and allowed three runs with 14 strikeouts and four walks in 11 innings in two postseason Game 1 starts. Skubal got the win over Atlanta in the National League Division Series and took a 2-1 loss in Milwaukee in the National League Championship Series.
Because Skubal switched teams during the season, he’s not eligible to receive a qualifying offer from the Dodgers. Same goes for Eric Lauer and Kris Bubic, but they weren’t going to get a qualifying offer anyway.
The Dodgers got Lauer from the Toronto Blue Jays in May to fill in once Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell made their annual stops on the injured list. Lauer lasted six innings in seven of his first 11 games with the Dodgers, and didn’t allow more than three runs in each of his first nine appearances before fading. In all, Lauer had a 4.50 ERA in 14 games, including 12 starts, with 46 strikeouts and 19 walks in 72 innings with the Dodgers.
Bubic was an All-Star starting pitcher in 2025 with the Kansas City Royals, but this year missed three and a half months on the injured list, first with elbow soreness then with shoulder soreness suffered while on rehab, and was acquired by Los Angeles on August 3. The left-hander joined the Dodgers in September and pitched 5 2/3 scoreless frames in his six appearances. Bubic pitched twice in the postseason and gave up a run both times, taking the loss in Game 2 of the NLDS and surrendering the tying run in Game 2 of the NLCS.
Bullpen mainstays now free
Vesia led the Dodgers with 72 appearances and put up a 2.64 ERA and 2.68 xERA with three saves, 74 strikeouts and 32 walks in 58 innings. After appearing in five games for the Miami Marlins in 2020, the Dodgers acquired Veisa that offseason and he’s spent the last six years as a stalwart in the back end of their bullpen, with a 2.66 ERA while averaging 61 innings, 54 2/3 innings, and 73 strikeouts.
“Looking back, getting drafted was a very big goal for me, and obviously Miami took a chance on a kid in the 17th round, and then the Dodgers liked what they saw. I definitely give a lot of credit to the coaching staff and the players and personnel in this room,” Vesia said on October 15. “I would not be where I’m at if it wasn’t for all of them. I’ve had very hard conversations, very happy conversations, a lot of great conversations that molded me into who I am and how I go about my business. The standard that is set here, to be great day in and day out is something that’s very motivating, and it’s been a great journey.”
Treinen has been with the Dodgers for seven years, with each of the last five years interrupted by injuries. In 2026 Treinen missed two and a half months with elbow inflammation, then suffered a shoulder injury during the last weekend of the regular season that removed any possible temptation for manager Dave Roberts to use Treinen in key situations this October. In between, Treinen had a 3.64 ERA and 5.07 xERA in 36 games, with 31 strikeouts and 13 walks in 29 2/3 innings. He turns 39 next June.
Phillips was acquired on a waiver claim from the Rays in August 2021, and spend most of the last five-plus years as one of the best relievers in baseball. This year, Phillips finished his rehab from 2025 Tommy John surgery and debuted with the Dodgers in July. He put up a 3.64 ERA and 4.37 xERA in 31 games, with 33 strikeouts against six walks in 26 innings. In the postseason he made five more scoreless in October to keep his lifetime postseason ERA at 0.00, and he notched his first postseason save in Game 1 of the NLDS.
Brusdar Graterol has been with the Dodgers since 2020 but hasn’t pitched since 2024, missing most of that time after shoulder surgery. This year Graterol made four rehab appearances in May before getting shut down with a back injury that eventually required surgery.
Treinen, Graterol, Vesia, and Phillips were the four longest-tenured pitchers on the Dodgers 40-man roster. With all four now free agents, that distinction currently belongs to Gavin Stone, who debuted three weeks earlier than fellow 2020 draftee Bobby Miller.
October maven
Acquired during the 2014 winter meetings, Kiké Hernández has played for the Dodgers during 10 of the last 12 seasons, and was a part of all five pennant winners of the Dave Roberts era in Los Angeles. 2026 was injury plagued for Hernández, who missed the first 53 games of the season after offseason elbow surgery, then missed another 51 games with an oblique strain. He hit .222/.271/.400 with a 83 wRC+ in all of 96 plate appearances.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen to me personally moving forward for next year, but this team is well-positioned to keep winning, keep competing until October,” Hernández said on October 15. “Not only is this locker room very talented, but there are a lot of guys in the minor league system that can really be impactful players. The organization is in good hands.
Hernández, the all-time Dodgers leader with 98 postseason games played, was reacquired at the 2023 trade deadline from the Boston Red Sox, then signed one-year deals late in each of the next three offseasons.
“I love this place. I’ve played for three other teams, but every time I look at my career, I kind of obviously go back to this place,” Hernández said. “I hope I get back, I feel I have a lot left to serve.”
With these nine players now free agents, the Dodgers have 37 players on their 40-man roster.
