The Dodgers’ offseason roster reset is officially underway.
Nine players became free agents at 6 a.m. Pacific Thursday following the conclusion of the World Series:
Nine Dodgers Who Entered Free Agency
Becoming a free agent does not mean a player has left the Dodgers permanently.
The Dodgers can re-sign any of them immediately. The players cannot sign with another organization until the five-day quiet period ends Monday, November 2, at 2 p.m. Pacific.
The group includes one of baseball’s best starting pitchers, multiple longtime bullpen contributors, an October fan favorite and one veteran who has already played his final game.
Here is where each player stands and what the Dodgers must consider next.
Tarik Skubal
Skubal represents the largest and most expensive decision of the offseason.
The Dodgers acquired the two-time Cy Young Award winner from Detroit on August 2 in exchange for Zyhir Hope, River Ryan and Brady Smith.
Skubal immediately gave Los Angeles another frontline starter, posting a 2.61 ERA with 70 strikeouts and 13 walks over 62 innings in 10 regular-season starts.
He then allowed three runs across 11 postseason innings, earning the victory in NLDS Game 1 against Atlanta before taking a 2-1 loss against Milwaukee in the NLCS.
Skubal finished the complete regular season 12-7 with a 2.72 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 186 strikeouts over 158⅔ innings. Since returning from flexor-tendon surgery in 2023, he has established himself as one of baseball’s most dominant starters.
What to watch now is the contract structure.
Skubal is expected to pursue the largest guarantee ever awarded to a pitcher. A shorter agreement with an enormous annual salary and opt-outs could fit the Dodgers’ preference for flexibility, but there is no indication Skubal will choose that structure over a longer contract.
Because Detroit traded him during the season, the Dodgers cannot extend him a qualifying offer. They will not receive Draft compensation if he signs elsewhere.
Blue Dynasty take: Skubal is the best player available, but retaining him will require the Dodgers to decide how much long-term pitching risk they are willing to accept. He is the clear priority on talent alone.
Alex Vesia
Vesia may be the most practical reunion candidate on the list.
The Dodgers acquired him from Miami before the 2021 season, and he developed into one of the most consistent left-handed relievers in baseball.
Vesia owns a 2.66 ERA during six seasons with Los Angeles. He has repeatedly handled high-leverage situations and remained effective against hitters from both sides of the plate.
He led the Dodgers with 72 appearances in 2026, finishing with a 2.64 ERA, three saves and 74 strikeouts across 58 innings. His 32 walks were higher than the Dodgers would prefer, but his overall performance remained strong.
What to watch is how the market values a durable left-hander with legitimate late-inning experience.
The Dodgers have other left-handed options, but none has Vesia’s combination of consistency, familiarity and high-leverage history.
Blue Dynasty take: After an unstable season from the bullpen, allowing one of its most reliable relievers to leave would create another problem that must be solved. Vesia should be near the top of the reunion list.
Evan Phillips
Phillips entered the season as more of a medical question than a dependable bullpen option.
He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2025 and did not return to the Dodgers until July. Once activated, he posted a 3.64 ERA with 33 strikeouts and only six walks over 26 innings.
The right-hander became even more effective in October.
Phillips delivered five scoreless postseason appearances and recorded the save in NLDS Game 1. He has still never allowed an earned run during his postseason career.
Historically, Phillips has been one of baseball’s best relievers since the Dodgers claimed him off waivers from Tampa Bay in August 2021. His ability to attack hitters with multiple breaking-ball shapes made him useful in nearly any matchup.
What to watch is whether another club values his October résumé and believes he is fully recovered from elbow surgery.
Blue Dynasty take: Phillips’ age and medical history should keep the Dodgers disciplined, but his command and postseason reliability make a short-term reunion worth pursuing.
Kiké Hernández
Few players are more closely connected to the Dodgers’ recent October history than Kiké Hernández.
He has played for Los Angeles during 10 of the past 12 seasons and appeared on all five Dodgers pennant-winning teams during the Dave Roberts era.
Hernández is also the franchise leader with 98 postseason games played.
His 2026 season, however, was defined by injuries. He missed the first 53 games while recovering from elbow surgery and another 51 with an oblique strain. He finished with only 96 plate appearances, batting .222/.271/.400 with an 83 wRC+.
Historically, his value has come from positional versatility, clubhouse presence and an ability to deliver important October at-bats. The Dodgers must now determine whether those qualities still justify a roster spot as they attempt to introduce younger players.
Hernández said after the NLCS that he hopes to return and believes he still has something to contribute.
What to watch is whether the Dodgers once again wait until later in the offseason. Hernández has signed one-year contracts with Los Angeles during each of the past three winters, often after the larger pieces of the roster were already settled.
Blue Dynasty take: The emotional case for bringing Kiké back is obvious. The baseball case will depend on his health, the construction of the bench and whether the Dodgers can provide meaningful opportunities to younger players without sacrificing necessary versatility.
Kris Bubic
Bubic offers one of the more interesting upside decisions.
He became an All-Star starter with Kansas City in 2025, but elbow soreness and a subsequent shoulder issue cost him most of the 2026 season.
The Dodgers acquired him in August and activated him in September. Bubic made six regular-season appearances and delivered 5⅔ scoreless innings.
His postseason results were less encouraging. He appeared twice and allowed a run in each outing, taking the loss in NLDS Game 2 and surrendering the tying run in NLCS Game 2.
Bubic’s longer history suggests more value than that small October sample. He has experience starting, can provide multiple innings and gives Los Angeles another left-handed option.
What to watch is his health and preferred role. Bubic may want an opportunity to compete for starts rather than return as a lower-leverage reliever.
Blue Dynasty take: Bubic is a worthwhile depth target if the price reflects his recent injury history. The Dodgers should not evaluate him solely on two postseason appearances.
Eric Lauer
Lauer helped stabilize an injury-depleted rotation after the Dodgers acquired him from Toronto in May.
He completed six innings in seven of his first 11 appearances and did not allow more than three runs during any of his first nine outings with Los Angeles.
His production declined later in the season.
Lauer finished his Dodgers tenure with a 4.50 ERA, 46 strikeouts and 19 walks over 72 innings, appearing in 14 games and starting 12.
He has spent most of his career as a starter and has previously delivered league-average or better innings across a full season. That history gives him value as rotation insurance, even if he is unlikely to be promised a permanent spot.
What to watch is whether the Dodgers believe their younger starters can provide the same depth internally.
Blue Dynasty take: Lauer did what Los Angeles needed when the rotation was short-handed. A reunion makes sense only at a depth-level price and without blocking a younger pitcher who is ready for Major League innings.
Blake Treinen
Treinen’s seven seasons with the Dodgers included dominant stretches and several significant injuries.
At his best, his power sinker and slider combination made him one of the most difficult relievers in baseball to square up. He was also an important part of the 2020 and 2025 championship teams.
Availability has become the larger concern.
Treinen missed approximately two and a half months in 2026 because of elbow inflammation. A shoulder injury during the final weekend of the regular season kept him off the postseason roster.
He finished with a 3.64 ERA across 36 appearances, but his 5.07 expected ERA suggested his results were better than the underlying contact and command.
Treinen will turn 39 in June.
Andrew Friedman has said the shoulder problem involves soreness rather than an injury expected to require surgery, and a return later in October was not completely dismissed before the Dodgers were eliminated.
What to watch is his recovery and whether he wants to continue pitching.
Blue Dynasty take: Treinen has earned tremendous respect, but the Dodgers cannot build another bullpen around hoping injured veterans become available. Any reunion would need to be a low-risk agreement rather than a guaranteed high-leverage solution.
Brusdar Graterol
Graterol has not appeared in a Major League game since 2024.
The right-hander underwent shoulder surgery and attempted to return in 2026, making four rehabilitation appearances during May. A back injury then ended that comeback attempt and eventually required another operation.
When healthy, Graterol has been a valuable Dodgers reliever. He owns a 2.78 ERA across five regular seasons with Los Angeles and was especially effective during the 2023 and 2024 campaigns.
His high-velocity sinker has historically generated weak contact, although his strikeout numbers have never matched the raw power of his arm.
What to watch is whether he can begin throwing normally before teams make a contractual commitment.
Blue Dynasty take: Everyone remembers what a healthy Graterol can provide. The problem is that the Dodgers have not seen that version in two years. A reunion would have to be built almost entirely around recovery incentives.
Miguel Rojas
Rojas is technically a free agent, but he is not searching for another playing opportunity.
The 37-year-old has retired after 13 Major League seasons.
Rojas’ history with the Dodgers began long before his return in 2023. As a rookie in 2014, his diving defensive play preserved Clayton Kershaw’s no-hitter.
After returning to Los Angeles, Rojas became one of the most trusted leaders in the clubhouse. His game-tying home run in Game 7 of the 2025 World Series secured his permanent place in Dodgers history.
He was selected by his teammates for the Roy Campanella Award during each of his final three seasons.
Rojas is expected to remain with the organization in player development, although his exact position has not been finalized. His longer-term ambition is to work toward leading a Major League club.
Blue Dynasty take: Rojas will not return to the roster, but his influence on the Dodgers may continue for years. His transition is about preserving his leadership within the organization rather than negotiating another contract.
Who Should The Dodgers Prioritize?
Based on performance, roster needs and likely cost, the nine free agents fall into four different groups.
Highest Priorities
Tarik Skubal and Alex Vesia
Skubal would keep the rotation at an elite level. Vesia would preserve stability in a bullpen that needs fewer questions, not more.
Strong Reunion Candidates At The Right Price
Evan Phillips, Kiké Hernández and Kris Bubic
Each offers a specific form of value, but the Dodgers must weigh health, role and the need to create opportunities for younger players.
Depth Or Incentive-Based Possibilities
Eric Lauer, Blake Treinen and Brusdar Graterol
All three could help under the right circumstances, but Los Angeles should not guarantee major roles based primarily on past performance.
Retired
Miguel Rojas
His playing career is over, but his next Dodgers chapter is expected to begin within the organization.
What Happens Next?
The Dodgers can re-sign any of these players immediately.
Beginning Monday at 2 p.m. Pacific, the free agents can sign with another organization. That is also the deadline for teams to issue qualifying offers.
The Dodgers are not expected to give one to anyone in this group. Skubal is ineligible because he was traded during the season.
Los Angeles now has 37 players on its 40-man roster, although that number will continue changing as players return from the injured list, prospects receive protection from the Rule 5 Draft and arbitration decisions approach.
The Dodgers do not need to bring back every familiar name.
They must decide which players are still part of their next championship roster—and which roles need a different answer.
Free agency does not mean these nine Dodgers are gone. It means Los Angeles must now decide which relationships should continue before the rest of baseball gets its opportunity to intervene.
If the Dodgers could bring back only three of these players, who would you choose?