The Dodgers and lefty reliever Alex Vesia have avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $2.3MM deal with a club option for the 2026 season, reports Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Vesia had filed at $2.35MM, while the Dodgers countered with a $2.05MM figure. Vesia comes out well ahead of the midpoint between those two figures and above the $1.9MM projection from MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz. He was the Dodgers’ lone pending arbitration case, so they’ve now avoided the need for any arb hearings in 2025.
Vesia’s deal pays him $2.25MM in 2025, with the additional $50K guarantee coming in the form of the buyout on a $3.55MM option for 2026, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports. Via a series of performance-based escalators, he can boost the value of that option by $175K, to $3.725MM.
The 28-year-old Vesia (29 in April) has been a key late-inning presence for Los Angeles since coming over from the Marlins alongside righty Kyle Hurt in a Feb. 2021 trade that sent Dylan Floro to Miami. He’s pitched 210 1/3 innings of 2.57 ERA ball for L.A. and picked up 47 holds and eight saves along the way. That includes a career-best showing in 2024, when he notched a minuscule 1.76 earned run average, collected five saves and 13 holds, and fanned 33.1% of his opponents (against an ugly 12.5% walk rate, granted).
The 2024-25 offseason marks Vesia’s second trip through the arbitration process. He picks up a hearty 130% raise on last year’s even $1MM salary. By tacking on a club option for the 2026 campaign, the Dodgers have both potentially bought out his final two seasons of arbitration eligibility and also, at least in a technical sense, adhered to the prominent “file and trial” approach to arbitration by the vast majority of teams in the league in recent years (which is to say, once figures are exchanged/filed, talks on one-year deals are halted).
The presence of the option is notable in that it technically makes Vesia’s contract a multi-year deal, even if the second season isn’t guaranteed. Because there’s an option on it, the agreement can’t be used as a comp in future arbitration negotiations on one-year deals with similar players — either by the Dodgers or the other teams in the league.
Any word on how much was deferred?
I heard from a “reliable source” it was $5MM of the 2.3 that was deferred. Yes, mathematically it doesn’t seem to make sense, but ‘trust us’ it does (wink, wink).
How original!
Come up with something new instead of parroting back the same old same old.
Just like with Astros trash can comments, they think it never gets old.
Hey, man, there’s nothing else to attack. You guys are great everywhere else, so we are left with joke fodder… except injuries, but I don’t think it’s wise or respectable to make fun of those.
Nothing about the trash cans is a joke or is funny, that was serious business
I came here to write: hOw mUcH wAs dEfeRReD???
Thanks for beating me to it.
downright hilarious. original too.
It was an obvious joke. That was the point.
No the point was parroting an tired and ignorant opinion.
Like I said.
Assuming you can hold a job, don’t give up your day job.
Someone needs a nap….
Eh, it’s just jealousy. I mean, heck, I’m envious of how good the Dodgers FO is, how intuitive and creative they are, and how committed they are to compiling the best team to win.
But, look, they deserve it. They aren’t doing what the Astros did to win, they’re simply playing by the established rules.
Even if you all lose this year, how can any Dodgers fan complain? I mean, this has to be the most exciting epoch in Dodgers history, with exception of the 40-50s, perhaps?
I say, congratulations. I hate what the Dodgers are doing simply because it’s going to be that much harder for the Yankees. But, whatever, they deserve it. And, they didn’t need to sacrifice their farm to do it.
The jokes, although old already, are one way us working class baseball folks can take jabs (albeit small) at the best organization in baseball. Yes, it’s stupid, but I think it’s all in good fun. Enjoy it, you could be a Pirates fan! They get the jokes and have no hope.
Clip, Are there Dodgers fans complaining? Oh you mean Mickey Solis.
No, I didn’t mean that, sorry. I meant exactly the opposite. Even if you lose for some reason it’s not for lack of committed, intelligent organizational personnel they’re doing everything conceivable to win, so, Dodgers fans aren’t complaining – specifically because of how great your organization is to be a fan of. I should’ve articulated that better.
You guys are the best…on paper and on the field. Can’t be mad at you all for that! Although, when Yanks play you again I hope Ohtani throws some meatballs right down the middle! lol.
I knew that. Was just setting up the Mickey Solis joke. And I hope we get a rematch. The general populace will love that.
Oh… lol, I’m an idiot. Apparently I missed the sarcasm portion in elementary school – haha.
we need a sarcasm button
You can guarantee there will be Dodgers fans complaining if they don’t win the WS. Sadly, there are probably still fans that think the org wins in spite of Friedman.
I will trade those fans one slightly used Brian Cashman for Andrew Freidman? And that’s a steal, given Cashman is an antique, so naturally worth more….
@toptim
We all know Friedman has gigantic resources to work with, but clearly the guy is among the best at what he does. If there are people who don’t get that I have a hard time describing them as Dodgers fans.
Clever Clip! Ohtani can opt out if Andrew Friedman leaves the Dodgers.
What if I pinky promise that he doesn’t leave?
Actually, Cashman has been obsolete for about a decade. He needs to be donated to Goodwill for a tax deduction, otherwise to the landfill. Problem is, who do you bring in as GM?
I think there are plenty of GM-types that could fill Cashman’s role. Without knowing who is available and/or interested it is very difficult to say. I believe the Yankees could poach from a number of Asst GMs (or actual GMs of orgs that have POBOs).
It’s a great question worth considering, but I am certain the Yankees would have their pick of the litter, so to speak.
However, my opinion is that *if Cashman were fired, or resigned, he would be replaced by an in-house Cashman-lite person.
Cashman runs the day-to-day, but otherwise he does exactly what he’s asked to do. He does the occasional good deal, keeps butts in seats with the large but clearly limited resources at his disposal, takes most of the heat for Steinbrenner, shows up to work every day, chews with his mouth closed. He’s perfect.
This article is wrong, he filed at 2.35 not 2.3 … because otherwise this made no sense.
He’s going to be an excellent closer for some team two years from now
If he’s lucky he might get to pitch the 6th inning with LA.
He had a great 2024 and yet Fangraphs projects him to be in AAA. That’s how ridiculous the Dodgers’s bullpen is.
AAA Oklahoma City will have stocked pitching staff as well. Dodgers have logjam of young Ps they won’t have room for in LA. Good problem to have. Dripping pitching.
These scumbags don’t need arbitration. Just ask how much these guys want to stay with d*ddy and they’ll give it to them. At least this is one of their rare homegrown players instead of all the other All-Stars they’ve purchased.
Nope. Acquired from the Marlins with Kyle Hurt for Dylan Floro, who was claimed off waivers from the Cubs.