Dodgers face injury-laden questions with 2026 arbitration projections

When it comes to the Dodgers' payroll, the least of their worries is their arbitration-eligible players, as the vast majority of their contributors are under long-term contracts. As for the others? We're talking about drops in the bucket for the Dodgers' nearly $400 million payroll.

Last year, LA settled with all eight of their arb-eligible players without issue for a total $28.21 million, which is barely more than what Freddie Freeman made by himself for the year ($27 million).

The Dodgers have nine arb-eligible players this season: Brusdar Graterol, Tony Gonsolin, Evan Phillips, Alex Vesia, Anthony Banda, Brock Stewart, Ben Rortvedt, Michael Grove, and Alex Call.

On the bright side, it won't be very hard to figure out numbers to present to a majority of those players, but that's only because those players were injured for a significant amount of the season and shouldn't expect sizable raises.

Graterol didn't pitch all season; Gonsolin underwent a flexor repair surgery in August; Phillips underwent Tommy John in May; Stewart underwent shoulder surgery in late September; and Grove underwent shoulder surgery in spring training.

Five arbitration-eligible Dodgers ended 2025 season hurt or didn't pitch at all

Unsurprisingly, MLB Trade Rumors predicts none of Graterol, Gonsolin, or Phillips will receive higher salaries for 2026 than they did in 2025. The latter two only managed to pitch a collective 41 2/3 innings this season. Stewart is projected to make $530,000 more ($870,000 to $1.4 million), owing to his good work with the Twins prior to the trade deadline, and Grove could get $10,000 more ($790,000 to $800,000).

The question is, then: when any of the players will pitch again? Graterol could potentially be ready to go by spring training, but the others don't seem likely to be available until the summer (if they even return). It's quite possible Graterol, Gonsolin and Phillips are non-tendered, especially since they will be free agents after 2026.

The other option is to sign them to favorable two-year deals so they can rehab under the Dodgers' watch and give LA a cost-effective 2027 when they're able to return to full strength. We've seen the Dodgers do tht plenty of times before. But that was before they had the highest payroll in the sport accompanied by a massive luxury tax bill.

MLB's non-tender deadling is November 22, so we will know more about the Dodgers plans as we get closer to that date.