While the offseason content got going almost immediately with Dustin doing the annual roster reset, today was really when their first actual transactions of the off-season would take place, making it feel a lot more tangible.
Thankfully, there were just two easy option decisions for the Dodgers that were due, as both Max Muncy and Alex Vesia are returning next year.
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For one reason or another, it seems Dodgers fans have been trying to replace first baseman turned second baseman turned third baseman Max Muncy every year since at least 2022, and yet every year he makes it till the end of the season as an integral part of the team.
This year he posted a .243/.376/.470/.846 line, good for a 137 wRC+, his second season in a row with a wRC+ over 130. Yes, the defense has been below average, but it’s not disqualifying for him, and at this point his biggest problem is he has also missed around half the season for the second consecutive year.
Regardless, with his club option set at $10 million for 2026, and with no obvious replacement lined up, paying an important part of the lineup and a team leader like he’s a bench utility guy is an almost comical no-brainer. So indeed, the team will do just that.
The Dodgers are picking up Max Muncy’s $10 million club option for next year, source confirms
No surprise there. He is now the Dodgers’ longest tenure player with Clayton Kershaw retiring
— Jack Harris (@ByJackHarris) November 6, 2025
Really, the main point of discussion is having a contingency plan in case Muncy continues to miss time, plus looking towards a long-term answer for the team — yes, Alex Freeland exists, but he’s nowhere near a slam dunk for a team with World Series aspirations.
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The team’s other decision would be on left-handed reliever Alex Vesia, who continues to be in everybody’s thoughts as he and his wife deal with a serious personal matter.
In 68 games and 59.2 innings this year, he posted a 3.02 ERA/3.77 FIP/3.08 xERA with the second-highest strikeout rate and second-lowest walk rate of his career. He did, like seemingly the entire bullpen, struggle with controlling the longball this year, but he’s been a reliable part of Dave Roberts‘ trust tree for years now and nothing figures to change in 2026.
The team had a $3.65 million club option on him with a measly $50k buyout that would send him back to arbitration. However, after making $2.25 million last year and continuing to be healthy and productive, it’s unlikely arbitration would find him making less. And that’s even before the personal stuff is factored in, like not wanting to head to arb with a player in his walk year and not wanting to put any additional external concerns on his family given their current situation. Unsurprisingly, the Dodgers also did the obvious thing here.
Dodgers are also picking up Alex Vesia’s option for $3.55 million, per sources. He would’ve been arb-eligible anyway. But that takes care of their two option decisions for today
— Jack Harris (@ByJackHarris) November 6, 2025
Like with Muncy, the bigger question is what Vesia’s future with the team is, since he’ll be a free agent next year after his age-30 season. In general, relievers are more fungible and the Dodgers specifically have options, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he’s brought back either.
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To round things off for transactions, the Dodgers are also adding outfielder Ryan Ward to the 40-man roster. With the lack of left-handed hitting depth on the bench, it makes sense on the surface. There should be a corresponding move coming to make room in the at-capacity 40-man roster for the Muncy, Vesia, and Ward additions.
Source: The Dodgers are adding outfielder Ryan Ward to their 40-man roster. The 27-year-old hit 36 home runs with a .937 OPS with Triple-A Oklahoma City last year.
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) November 6, 2025
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Welcome to the hot stove.
