The offseason arrived quickly for the Dodgers, and Thursday at 6 a.m. PT made it official: nine players became free agents as the World Series ended. That kind of turnover is not unusual this time of year, but the mix here matters. It includes a recent trade-deadline addition, several bullpen arms, rotation depth and one player whose next step may come in the front office rather than on the field.
Tarik Skubal is the biggest name in the group, and his path to free agency is part of what makes this list notable. The Dodgers acquired him from the Detroit Tigers on August 2, then watched him finish the 2025 season with a 2.61 ERA, 70 strikeouts and 13 walks in 62 innings. He also posted 14 strikeouts and four walks in 11 innings before the move, a reminder that his value was obvious both before and after he changed teams.
The names that shape the list
Skubal is not the only player whose 2025 numbers suggest real value. Eric Lauer, acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays in May, put together a steady season across 14 games and 12 starts, finishing with a 4.50 ERA, 46 strikeouts and 19 walks in 72 innings. Kris Bubic, acquired on August 3, gave the Dodgers 5 2/3 scoreless frames in six appearances, which is exactly the sort of small-sample impact that can matter in a pennant race even if it does not create a long-term decision by itself.
Then there is Alex Vesia, whose remarks on October 15 reflected how much the Dodgers have shaped his career. He said Miami took a chance on him in the 17th round, and he credited the Dodgers coaching staff, players and personnel for the standard they set. That matters here because Vesia is not just another free agent arm; he is a player who openly tied his development to the organization’s culture.
Why this matters now
The Dodgers are not simply dealing with one star departure and a few role-player decisions. They are facing the start of the offseason with nine free agents, which forces a real accounting of depth. Bullpen stability, rotation coverage and roster continuity all sit in the balance. Some of these players may return, but the first step is acknowledging how much of the roster is technically in motion.
Miguel Rojas is the clearest example of how wide that motion can be. He is leaving as a player and moving into the Dodgers front office, a transition that gives this group a different kind of ending. It is a reminder that free agency is not always only about who leaves the roster. Sometimes it is about how a team chooses to keep a person connected to the organization.
There is also a timing wrinkle that matters for the bigger picture. Tarik Skubal, Eric Lauer and Kris Bubic are not eligible for qualifying offers because they switched teams during the season. That detail shapes how the Dodgers can think about value, compensation and next steps, even before any negotiations begin.
The World Series ended on Wednesday, and by Thursday morning the market had already begun to move. For the Dodgers, this is less about a single headline than about the first offseason test: deciding which of these nine free agents still fit the next version of the club, and which ones are part of a chapter that has already closed.
