One Dodgers Free Agent They Can't Afford to Lose (and One They Can)

The Los Angeles Dodgers have nine players set to hit free agency this offseason.

While no free agent is bigger than Tarik Skubal, there are plenty of other players hitting the open market that LA won't want to lose.

Since there's plenty of discussion around Skubal — and rightfully so — we won't discuss his free agency here. Instead, we'll look at two other players: One the Dodgers can't afford to lose, and one they can.

Dodgers Can't Afford to Lose Alex Vesia

Left-handed reliever Alex Vesia has been a staple in the Dodgers organization since he was acquired ahead of the 2021 season.

Vesia made 41 relief appearances in 2021. Since 2022, he hasn't had fewer than 56 appearances in a season.

The left-hander has set career-highs in each of the last three seasons, appearing in 67, 68 and 72 games, respectively. This year, he had a 2.64 ERA and 74 strikeouts over 58 innings.

In his six seasons with LA, Vesia has accrued a 2.87 ERA across 332.1 innings. In the postseason, he's taken his game to another level, compiling a 1.59 ERA over 31 appearances (22.2 innings).

Vesia has become a staple of the bullpen, and has quietly been one of their most important relievers every year. After recording one save every season from 2021-23, he's had 13 saves over the last three seasons.

The 31-year-old earned $3.65 million in 2026, but is due for a raise this year. Spotrac projects him to earn a two-year, $14.1 million deal, but it wouldn't be a surprise to see his contract surpass that.

The Dodgers are losing a handful of bullpen staples this offseason. They'd be wise to bring back Vesia as a key left-hander.

And for what it's worth, Vesia has expressed a desire to return.

Dodgers Can Afford to Lose Kiké Hernandez

Utility man Kiké Hernandez has never been an All-Star in his 13-year career. He has a career OPS of .706.

And yet, he's been one of the most crucial members of the Dodgers' three World Series championships since 2020.

Hernandez, dubbed "Mr. October" in Los Angeles, has spent parts of 10 seasons with the Dodgers. In those 10 seasons, he's played in 97 postseason games, more than any player in franchise history.

Hernandez has 17 career postseason home runs — 12 of them coming with the Dodgers — which ranks him tied-for-18th all-time. He's tied with Hall of Famers David Ortiz and Jim Thome, and future Hall of Famer Aaron Judge.

With all that being said, Hernandez has struggled to stay healthy over the last few seasons. This year, he appeared in just 41 regular-season games, and then went 1-for-14 in the postseason.

At 35 years old, Hernandez's best years are behind him. On a Dodgers team that needs to inject some youth into the position player group, there's no room for the longtime fan favorite.

In the past, Hernandez has said he would only play for the Dodgers. This year, however, he left the door open to join a new team in free agency.

He seems to see the writing on the wall.

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