Dodgers Face A Painful Offseason Decision With Key Arms At Risk

As the Los Angeles Dodgers enter the offseason, the spotlight turns to a pivotal group of free agents, raising questions about the future roster in the wake of their playoff exit.

The Dodgers’ 2026 season ended with the National League Championship Series loss to the Milwaukee Brewers, and the attention now turns immediately to an offseason that could reshape parts of the roster.

A long list of familiar names is headed toward free agency, with some key bullpen pieces, a rotation addition, and a longtime clubhouse presence all in play. The group includes Kris Bubic, Brusdar Graterol, Enrique Hernandez, Eric Lauer, Evan Phillips, Miguel Rojas, Tarik Skubal, Blake Treinen and Alex Vesia.

Bubic, whom the Dodgers picked up from the Kansas City Royals before the trade deadline, gave them 4.2 scoreless innings out of the bullpen to finish the regular season. In the playoffs, he allowed two runs over two appearances spanning 1.1 innings. At 29, the left-handed pitcher should attract a strong market as a starting option.

Lauer was another midseason addition, coming over from the Toronto Blue Jays. He became an important part of the rotation before a late-season elbow injury shut him down. At 31, he should draw plenty of interest in free agency.

The bullpen market also includes Phillips, who returned on a one-year deal last offseason while working back from Tommy John surgery. He posted a 3.46 ERA in 26 regular-season innings and then threw three scoreless innings over five postseason appearances. He’s 32 and should land solid interest.

Vesia may be the most important reliever on the list after Skubal. The left-hander has been a steady presence in the Dodgers bullpen since 2021, and this season he put up a 2.64 ERA in 72 appearances. Before the postseason, the 30-year-old said he doesn’t know if he’ll be back with the team in 2027.

Treinen is another veteran whose future is uncertain. The 38-year-old had a 3.64 ERA in 29.2 innings before a shoulder injury ended his year just before the playoffs. Retirement is a possibility for him this offseason.

Graterol’s situation is also murky. He has not pitched for the Dodgers since the 2024 World Series because of a series of injuries, and he underwent back surgery at the end of May. He’s 28.

Hernandez has been around this spot before, re-signing on one-year deals in each of the last three offseasons. He was a key figure in the team’s back-to-back World Series titles, but after a down year and at 35, it’s unclear whether he gets another chance.

Rojas announced his retirement from Major League Baseball after the Game 4 loss. He said he wants to stay with the Dodgers organization as a coach.

Then there is Skubal, the biggest free agent in the sport and a pitcher on track to become the highest-paid in MLB history. After the Dodgers acquired him at the trade deadline, he posted a 2.61 ERA in 10 starts and followed that with a 2.45 ERA over two postseason starts. He said he loved his time in Los Angeles, but where he ends up next is still to be determined.

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