Dodgers swiftly solved the one 2026 contract situation fans might've forgotten about

There's not a single member of the Dodgers' bullpen that didn't give fans a heart attack at one point or the other this season, but Alex Vesia might've proved to be the least untrustworthy of the bunch — a credit to him when zooming out on Dodgers relievers' performances as a whole this year.

He finished off the regular season with a 3.02 ERA over 59 2/3 innings, and although he did need an IL stint in late August through early September, he only stayed there for the 15-day minimum. Despite giving up two runs to the Reds in Wild Card Game 1 (which was a 10-2 blowout by the time he came in anyway), he pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings through the NLDS and NLCS before being ruled out for the World Series due to a personal issue.

He's making $2.3 million this year, his second year of arbitration eligibility — a tiny price to pay when compared to the $18 million for Tanner Scott and $13 million for Kirby Yates.

Going into 2026, Vesia's arbitration eligibility will be handled a little differently from the eight other Dodgers who will have to come to an agreement with the team. His settlement last year included a $3.55 million club option for 2026 and $50,000 buyout if the Dodgers don't exercise it.

That doesn't mean that Vesia will necessarily be let go if LA declines the option — only that they'll have to go back to the drawing board to present new terms. But they won't need to do that, as Vesia's option was swiftly exercised last week.

Dodgers have a $3.55 million club option for Alex Vesia going into 2026

It's no secret that the Dodgers' bullpen needs a lot of work in the offseason, even if two of their biggest disappointments — Scott and Blake Treinen — are locked in for millions in 2026. Kirby Yates and Michael Kopech should both be shown the door. Young players like Jack Dreyer, Ben Casparius, and Edgardo Henriquez may need to compete for their roster spots in spring training next year.

Vesia's August and September weren't ideal, but he still ended the regular season as the Dodgers' second-most valuable reliever behind Dreyer. Even if he does frequently give Dodgers fans reasons to sweat, he proved far more likely to get himself out of sticky situations than the rest of LA's supposedly dominant, high-leverage bullpen arms.

It was easy for the Dodgers to exercise their club option on Vesia when they have higher-paid and far more underperforming relievers on the roster for the foreseeable future. For the Dodgers, $3.55 million is chump change for someone as talented and dedicated as Vesia. A win for everyone.