The Dodgers are heading into a busy offseason with a little roster math to sort through, and two relievers who performed well in 2026 may still find themselves on shaky ground.
Los Angeles is sitting at 37 players on its 40-man roster, so there’s no immediate need to clear space. But that number won’t stay comfortable for long. As the Dodgers start adding players through the Rule 5 process, trades and free agency, the roster squeeze will only tighten.
That’s where Brock Stewart and Jake Cousins enter the picture. Both were effective last season, and both came at a relatively low price. Stewart turned in a 2.70 ERA and 3.81 FIP in 28 appearances, while Cousins posted a 2.37 ERA and 4.06 FIP over 38 innings.
The money involved is manageable. Stewart made $1.3 million in 2026 and is expected to land at $1.8 million through arbitration.
Cousins is projected to come in even lower at $1 million. For a Dodgers team that is not especially constrained by salary, the bigger issue is roster space.
That matters because Stewart is out of minor-league options, and Cousins has just one left. With several players departing in free agency and the possibility that names like Skubal, Alex Vesia, and even Evan Phillips return, the Dodgers also have a wave of prospects waiting for 40-man consideration, including Adam Serwinowski, Christian Zazueta, and Jackson Ferris.
So while neither reliever is an obvious cut on performance alone, both are still vulnerable as the non-tender deadline approaches later this month. They could make it through the first round of roster decisions, but their spots are far from secure.
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ESPNs Kiley McDaniel sees the market treating Vesia like a real prize, projecting a two-year, $25 million deal in free agency based on his recent performance and pitching traits. For a Dodgers team that has leaned on bullpen depth and versatility, that kind of value makes his future worth watching closely, especially with so many moving parts already on the roster. [Read more 🡒]
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What makes the situation tricky is the timing. Itoh is seen as a possible long reliever or back-end starter, with projections pointing to a two-year deal worth $18 million, but the Dodgers cannot sit on the idea for long because the posting process and MLB lockout-related rules leave only a narrow window to get something done. For a team that values pitching depth as much as Los Angeles does, the appeal is obvious, even if the clock is working against them. [Read more 🡒]