Dodgers keeping Brusdar Graterol for 2026 truly shows money is no object to them

Thursday is the deadline for teams to reach new deals with their players who are arbitration-eligible for the 2026 season, and the Los Angeles Dodgers were among the first teams to begin their housecleaning. The Dodgers agreed to a one-year deal with relief pitcher Brusdar Graterol, who is set to earn $2.8M next season.

The price tag matches the projection for Graterol at the start of the offseason, but honestly, it feels like the Dodgers missed an opportunity here.

The Dodgers are never going to cry poor, and if there is an opportunity to spend, they will find a way to do so. That said, it feels like they just threw away nearly $3M with their decision to bring back Graterol.

Dodgers keeping Brusdar Graterol proves money means nothing to them

Graterol has only seven appearances out of Los Angeles' bullpen since the start of the 2024 season, and none of those outings happened in 2025.

Graterol underwent shoulder surgery after the 2024 season, and the initial hope was that he would be an option out of the bullpen towards the closing months of last season. Instead, he never progressed in the way that made him a viable option.

It also seems that the Dodgers are putting too much stock in Graterol. The last time Dodgers fans saw the 27-year-old in earnest, there's no question that he had the appearance of being a high-leverage relief pitcher. He posted a 1.20 ERA in 68 appearances in 2023. It may have been fool's gold, considering he struck out less than 19% of the hitters he faced, and his previous seasons weren't quite at that level.

2023 was also the only year he pitched more than 50 innings in a season.

Of course, given the number of pitching injuries the Dodgers worked through last year, they likely saw a pathway to Graterol serving as a depth piece at an affordable price. If he gets back to the 2023 version of himself, sure, they would have made a smart gamble, but there's no evidence to suggest that is the likeliest of outcomes.

With Graterol's status resolved, the Dodgers only have Anthony Banda, Brock Stewart, and Alex Call left to worry about before the end of the day.