One of the first "moves" of the Dodgers' offseason was exercising their club option on Max Muncy to keep him for the 2026 season. It was a no-brainer; Muncy is a fan favorite, a three-time World Series champion with the Dodgers, and $10 million was an absolute steal for a guy who could plausibly hit over 30 homers in a season (if he can stay healthy) and anchor the lower half of the rotation.
But Muncy's future beyond 2026 has been up in the air. He'll turn 36 in August, hasn't been healthy for a full season in a long time, and had that awful stretch at the plate at the beginning of 2025. The Dodgers could use Muncy's contract expiring as an out and continue to upgrade next offseason. He still has a lot of pop, but his defense at third base has never been outstanding, and probably isn't going to get better with age.
Turns out, they're happy with what they have. On Thursday, they agreed to a one-year contract extension worth $10 million, with a club option for 2028.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have agreed to terms with IF Max Muncy on a one-year contract extension for $10 million guaranteed, which includes a $7 million salary for the 2027 season and a $10 million club option for 2028.
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) February 12, 2026
Dodgers agree to a one-year contract extension with Max Muncy ahead of 2026-27 free agency
The Dodgers are one of the oldest teams in baseball by median age. Andy Pages is the only regular hitter in the Dodgers' lineup who is under the age of 30. Muncy, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman — they're all in or getting into their mid-30s — and it's already affecting them. Freeman has had multiple injuries over the last few seasons and will be getting built-in rest days in 2026.
In Muncy's case, the key will be his health. It's clear that he still has the juice when he is fully healthy. The guy accumulated 3.6 bWAR in just 100 games in 2025, almost all from his bat (and after seeing an optometrist). But spending 62 games on the IL still isn't ideal, even if $10 million is a negligible amount of money for a team like the Dodgers.
But the Dodgers love their veterans, and have tended to show unfailing loyalty to them, sometimes to their detriment (need we remind everyone about Chris Taylor?). Muncy is the Dodgers reclamation project. They picked him up off of the Athletics' scrap heap and turned him into a star. LA is always going to bet on a guy like that, and that deserves a hat tip in itself.
