The Dodgers are staring at an offseason clock that’s ticking louder by the day, and if they want to get ahead of the chaos, the first business move should be a familiar one: bring Alex Vesia back.
Major League Baseball’s offseason is now open for business, but only for a little while. Teams have until Dec. 1 to get deals done before an expected lockout freezes everything, and that puts a premium on speed.
For clubs with big payrolls like Los Angeles, the next month could shape a lot more than just the roster. It could shape the way they navigate the next Collective Bargaining Agreement.
That’s why the Dodgers are expected to stay busy. They’ll be in the mix for left-handed pitcher Tarik Skubal, though there’s no reason to expect him to rush toward a decision before the deadline gets closer. In the meantime, the cleaner move is to lock up a reliever who already fits.
Vesia officially became a free agent on Thursday, one of eight Dodgers to hit the market, or nine if Miguel Rojas is included after retirement. Of that group, Vesia stands out as the most important. Skubal may be the biggest prize, but Vesia has been one of the Dodgers’ most reliable pieces since 2021.
He has made at least 67 relief appearances in each of the last three regular seasons, and in 2026 he set a career high with 72 outings while posting a 2.64 ERA across 58 innings. Over his Dodgers career, he owns a 2.66 ERA in 328 regular-season innings, and he’s been even sharper when the stakes rise. In 22.2 postseason innings, Vesia has a 1.59 ERA.
That kind of track record makes him more than just another bullpen arm. He’s become one of the Dodgers’ go-to firemen, the guy they trust when the inning starts spiraling and they need it stopped. At 30, he’s still in the middle of his prime, and the case for keeping him in Los Angeles is hard to miss.
The market for Vesia should be strong. He’s expected to land a multi-year contract, and some projections already have him priced well into that territory.
The Athletic’s Jim Bowden projected two years and $23 million, with an average annual value of $11.5 million. Spotrac came in at two years and $14.2 million, a figure that looks light at $7.1 million per year.
After the season, Vesia made it clear he’d like to stay put, even if the final call isn’t fully his.
“From the coaching staff to the front office to the players that have taken me under their wing have helped mold and shape me into who I am and how I carry myself, how I go about my business,” Vesia said. “And if it wasn’t for the people in the room in this room, I would not be where I’m at today.
So, very thankful. This whole experience has been life-changing.”
He also posted a message to fans on Instagram.
"I don’t know what the future holds, but I do want to say thank you to Dodger Nation for showing me so much love over the past six years, especially this year," Vesia wrote. "I’m just a man on a mission!"
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