We’re officially five days post-World Series, so the offseason has officially begun. Earlier today, the Dodgers exercised options on Max Muncy and Alex Vesia — to no one’s surprise. To some surprise, they added outfielder Ryan Ward to the 40-man roster. Adding three players to the 40-man required some corresponding roster moves, and we now know what they are.
The biggest surprise here is clearly Ortiz, but more on him later.
Gonsolin’s designation wasn’t overly surprising. He was projected to make $5.4 million in his final year of arbitration. Normally, he’d be an easy tender, but the internal brace procedure on his right elbow in August killed that chance. It’s basically Tommy John-lite, so he might not even pitch in 2026. The Dodgers could look to bring him back (likely on a 2-year minor-league deal), but he might have some suitors who are thinking the same. His Dodger tenure ends with a 3.34 ERA, 4.17 FIP and a 6.1 fWAR over parts of six seasons. He missed all of 2024 while recovering from TJ surgery. Oh — and most importantly — he’s a 3-time World Series champion.
Speaking of champions, Dean was next on the chopping block. He made 31 appearances (regular and postseason) with the Dodgers in 2025 and totaled two plate appearances. He was almost exclusively a defensive-replacement/pinch-runner and that utility served its purpose in the postseason.
Grove was recovering from shoulder surgery and missed all of 2025. While he isn’t set to be a free agent until after the 2028 season, the Dodgers thought his 40-man spot was more valuable than keeping a “potential” arm on it. He finishes his Dodger career with a 5.48 ERA, 4.35 FIP and 1.2 fWAR. If he’s healthy, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him latch on with a second-division club.
Ortiz, 25, has been a longtime Dodger prospect. He was signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2017 and has had an up and down MiLB career. He has a 3.48 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and a 12.8 K-BB%. He missed two years (2022-23) due to injury but has been pretty effective out of the bullpen the past two seasons. The Dodgers felt he was worth protecting from the Rule 5 Draft and he could make his MLB debut at some point in 2026 — if he survives the winter on the 40-man.
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Things figure to be quiet for a couple weeks. Rumors should start picking up after the General Mangers meetings (Nov. 10-13) and there could be moves on either side of Thanksgiving.
