With baseball’s annual Winter Meetings less than a week away, the relief pitching market is starting to heat up. This means that if the Dodgers are aiming to buy high, they may need to make a move sooner rather than later.
Last offseason, the Dodgers put together a formidable bullpen with the additions of Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates, as well as the return of Blake Treinen. But the relief corps proved problematic throughout the season, combining for a 4.27 ERA and 27 blown saves, tied with the Phillies for seventh in the Majors. LA was still capable of defend his World Series titlebut the last rounds were often tenuous.
Even so, the Dodgers have been on the fence about whether to emerge from this offseason with a new closer.
“I don’t think it’s a necessity,” general manager Brandon Gomes told reporters at general managers’ meetings, “but it might be ‘nice to have.’
Here’s a look at the Dodgers’ bullpen as it stands and how the team could approach the late innings in 2026:
What current 40-man arms could close out games?
The Dodgers’ 40 relief options include Anthony Banda, Ben Casparius, Jack Dreyer, Paul Gervase, Brusdar Graterol, Edgardo Henriquez, Kyle Hurt, Will Klein, Ronan Kopp, Bobby Miller, Scott, Brock Stewart, Treinen, Alex Vesia and Justin Wrobleski.
Of those returning pitchers, seven converted a save opportunity for the Dodgers during the 2025 regular season: Scott (23), Vesia (five), Dreyer (four), Casparius (two), Wrobleski (two), Treinen (two) and Henriquez (one).
The Dodgers are optimistic that Scott can bounce back from a rough season (4.74 ERA, 10 blown saves) to begin his four-year, $72 million contractbut what they really need is someone who can shut down right-handed hitters.
Could pitchers returning from injury be part of the solution?
The Dodgers sorely missed Graterol last season. The hard-throwing right-hander ended up being out for the year after undergoing right shoulder labrum surgery in November 2024. Getting him back to the back of the bullpen could be a huge boost for the Dodgers.
Another right-hander who could make an impact is Hurt, who completed his rehabilitation from Tommy John surgery by holding opponents to two earned runs in 9 1/3 innings (1.93 ERA) during a September stint with Triple-A Oklahoma City.
While Stewart is he will likely miss the start of 2026 after undergoing a debridement procedure in September on his right shoulder, it is hoped he will be available for most of the season. Before being traded to the Dodgers before the deadline passed, Stewart was the Twins’ setup man and could fill a similar position with Los Angeles.
Which free agents could be a good fit?
There are also plenty of mid-tier options that could be added, but the Dodgers ultimately must decide if a bigger splash is necessary. They’re already essentially paying Scott to be their closer, so should they pay another? This leads to perhaps the biggest question regarding the bullpen this offseason.
How bad do the Dodgers need another closer?
The Dodgers don’t always choose to name a closer, but it’s usually clear who the first choice for the role is. This was the case when Roki Sasaki took the role of the ninth inning in the playoffs.
The Dodgers bullpen still had its problems, especially in the World Series, but having Sasaki as a closer seemed to have a stabilizing effect that limited Los Angeles’ “bullpen volatility.”
