The Dodgers offseason is upon us, so let’s look at the roster just before the pilot light on the hot stove is lit.
Up first are the players who, as of 6 a.m. PT on Sunday, are now free agents.
Free agents (7)
- Michael Conforto
- Andrew Heaney
- Kiké Hernández
- Clayton Kershaw
- Michael Kopech
- Miguel Rojas
- Kirby Yates
Clayton Kershaw is retired after 18 seasons
, and now the countdown to his 2032 Cooperstown induction begins.Kiké Hernández started every game of the postseason, and it figures that another reunion could happen. Miguel Rojas has stated multiple times that he’d like to play one more season, and that he’d like it to be
with the Dodgers.
Michael Conforto and Kirby Yates were one-year signings that didn’t work, and neither were active in the postseason. Neither was Michael Kopech, though his season was more defined by multiple stints on the 60-day injured list. Andrew Heaney was a September fill-in who pitched on the final weekend of the regular season, setting a Dodgers record for using 62 players in one season.
All due respect, but none of these free agents will receive a qualifying offer, a one-year offer valued this year at $22.025 million (the average of the top 125 salaries in the sport) for 2026 that would ensure draft-pick compensation should the player sign elsewhere.
Options (2)
Max Muncy’s two-year, $24 million contract includes a $10 million club option for 2026, with no buyout, with the Dodgers’ decision due by … That contract was signed during this same period two years ago, when the Dodgers’ held a $14 million club option for 2024. Muncy has several times in recent years expressed a desire to remain in Los Angeles, so it wouldn’t be all that surprising if the 35-year-old third baseman remains with the Dodgers, either with his option exercised or with a new contract.
Alex Vesia avoided salary arbitration with a two-year deal last January that includes a club option for 2026 worth $3.65 million, with a $50,000 buyout. The initial option salary was $3.55 million, but $50,000 was added to the base salary by Vesia appearing in 60 and 65 games in 2025 (he pitched in 68 games).
All option decisions must be made by Thursday, the fifth day after the World Series.
The Dodgers ended the season with 48 players on their 40-man roster thanks to the 60-day injured list. But there is no more 60-day IL in the offseason. The seven free agents and Muncy’s pending status leaves 40 players on the 40-man roster for now. The Dodgers will have to make a corresponding move if they exercise Muncy’s option.
Vesia is still on the 40-man roster regardless of whether his option is exercised, as he would just be eligible for salary arbitration if he doesn’t have a 2026 contract.
Of the 40 players on the 40-man roster, 26 are pitchers. Even accounting for the at least three pitchers who won’t be ready at the start of the season after surgery (Tony Gonsolin, Evan Phillips, Brock Stewart) — the 60-day injured list cannot be used until spring training starts in February — that’s a roster imbalance that will certainly be corrected in the coming weeks and/or months. But for now, here is the roster as it stands on day one of the offseason.
Now let’s look at the Dodgers currently under contract.
The 2025 and 2026 salaries above include the actual amount paid in that particular year. There are several contracts with signing bonuses and/or deferred money, which affect these totals. For instance, Blake Snell received his entire $52 million signing bonus in 2025, and of his $26 million per year remaining in salary, $13.2 million each year is deferred to 2035-46. Will Smith signed a 10-year deal before the 2024 season that included a $30 million signing bonus, of which $15 million was paid in 2025, in addition to the $8 million of his salary that was not deferred.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto is signed through 2035 on a contract that is looking more and more like a bargain every day. But he has two potential chances to opt out, either in 2029 and 2031 or 2031 and 2033 depending on injuries he might experience.
Tyler Glasnow has a player option for 2028 worth $21,562,500. If he declines, it becomes a club option worth $30 million. The Dodgers hold a $15 million club option for 2028 on Teoscar Hernández, with a $6.5 million buyout, and two club options for 2028-29 at $5 million each for Hyeseong Kim that must be exercised together, with a $1.5 million buyout if declined.
Tommy Edman has a $13 million club option for 2030, with a $3 million buyout. Snell has a conditional $10 million club option for 2030 depending on injury.
The combined salaries for competitive balance tax purposes for these dozen players total $257.3 million for 2026.
Nine Dodgers are eligible for salary arbitration, though Vesia will most likely instead have his option exercised. MLB Trade Rumors projected his salary through arbitration at $4.1 million, which is more than the $3.65 million salary of his club option.
Many of the 2026 salary projections are close to or match the 2025 salaries, in large part due to injuries. Neither Brusdar Graterol nor Michael Grove pitched at all in 2026 after shoulder surgeries. Evan Phillips had Tommy John surgery on June 4, Tony Gonsolin had an internal brace procedure on his right elbow on August 12, and Brock Stewart had shoulder surgery on September 29, which will eat into all three pitchers’ 2026 seasons as well.
If all nine players here make their projected salaries in 2026, the total is $25.1 million, or $24.65 million if Vesia’s option is exercised plus the other eight. That would put the Dodgers 2026 payroll for competitive balance tax purposes at between $281.95 million and $282.4 million for 21 players.
The first threshold for competitive balance tax in 2026 is $244 million, with higher tax rates at each of the four thresholds, with everything over $304 million incurring a 110-percent tax. The Dodgers exceeded that highest tier in payroll in both 2024 and 2025.
These are the players on the roster with under three years of service time and not yet eligible for salary arbitration. The minimum salary in MLB for 2026 is $780,000.
