LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers reached contract agreements with four of their five remaining arbitration-eligible players on Thursday.
Relievers Michael Kopech, Brusdar Graterol, Evan Phillips and Anthony Banda agreed to one-year contracts. The lone remaining unsigned arbitration-eligible player is left-hander Alex Vesia.
Thursday was the deadline for teams to reach agreements with arbitration-eligible players before exchanging figures for hearings to be held next month. Although negotiations can continue up until the start of the hearing, most teams have recently adopted a “file and trial” policy that ends negotiations past the point when figures are exchanged.
Vesia is reportedly seeking a raise from last year’s $1 million salary to $2.35 million. The Dodgers have countered at $2.05 million. The Dodgers haven’t gone to a hearing since both outfielder Joc Pederson and pitcher Pedro Baez took them to hearings in 2020.
Phillips and Kopech agreed to the highest salaries in the group, signing for $6.1 million and $5.2 million, respectively.
Acquired on a waiver claim from the Tampa Bay Rays in August 2021, Phillips has been one of the best relievers in baseball since joining the Dodgers with a 2.28 ERA and 44 saves in four seasons. He was less effective in 2024, posting a 3.62 ERA and 18 saves. His season ended with a shoulder injury in the National League Championship Series and he didn’t pitch in the World Series.
Kopech was acquired from the Chicago White Sox at the trade deadline last year and went 4-0 with six saves and a 1.13 ERA in 27 innings for the Dodgers. He gave up three runs on five hits over nine innings during the Dodgers’ postseason run. Kopech can become a free agent next offseason.
Graterol agreed to a $2.8 million contract for 2025 though he is not expected to return from shoulder surgery until well into the season. Graterol pitched just 7⅓ innings for the Dodgers in 2024 due to his recurring shoulder problems and a hamstring injury. He didn’t pitch in the first two rounds of the postseason but did pitch in three of the World Series games.
The well-traveled Banda joined the Dodgers (his eighth major-league team) from the Cleveland Guardians in exchange for cash in May. He pitched his way into an important bullpen role, posting a 3.08 ERA in 48 games.