Dodgers pitcher Alex Vesia did not participate in the World Series while he was attending to a family matter. The ending to the 2025 season, which saw the Dodgers defeat the Toronto Blue Jays for the second consecutive championship, was bittersweet for the 29-year-old pitcher.
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Vesia did get some good news on Thursday, when the Dodgers exercised his option for 2026.
Small correction: the value of Vesia’s option increased by $100,000 with games-pitched incentives, so he’ll get $3.65 million next year.
— J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) November 6, 2025
Vesia went 4-2 and posted a 3.02 ERA in 68 regular season games for the Dodgers during the regular season, with a 0.989 WHIP and 80 strikeouts in 59.2 innings.
Prior to the World Series, Vesia had not allowed a run in six consecutive postseason appearances.
The 2026 option in Vesia’s contract included $50,000 in performance bonuses if he exceeded 60 and 65 appearances in 2025, so he’ll get $3.65 million next year.
Vesia has not been seen or heard, either in public or on social media, since the Dodgers released a statement that he and his wife, Kayla, are dealing with a “deeply personal family matter.”
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 23, 2025
Vesia’s wife announced on Instagram in April that the couple was expecting their first child. Neither Roberts, nor the team, provided additional details about the nature of Vesia’s absence.
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The Dodgers originally acquired Vesia from the Miami Marlins in a February 2021 trade along with pitching prospect Kyle Hurt for reliever Dylan Floro.
All Vesia has done since the trade is become arguably the best left-handed reliever for the best team in the National League. He is 19-12 as a Dodger, with a 2.67 ERA in 295 regular season appearances, along with 13 saves.
Vesia has relied on a sharp-breaking fastball and impeccable command to strike out 364 batters in 270 innings in a Dodger uniform.
The Dodgers’ bullpen was full of question marks in 2025, leaving Vesia as one of few bright spots. Among Dodgers pitchers who made at least 25 relief appearances, only Jack Dreyer (2.95) had a lower ERA than Vesia (3.02). Vesia’s 0.989 WHIP was the lowest of any Dodgers pitcher with at least 16 appearances.
Right-hander Blake Treinen and right-hander Tanner Scott are both under contract for 2026, but struggled mightily at times this year. Right-handers Brock Stewart, Evan Phillips and Brusdar Graterol are eligible for arbitration, but might not be tendered contracts after finishing the season on the injured list.
Among other returning relievers, only left-hander Anthony Banda is eligible for salary arbitration this offseason. That means — barring any big offseason acquisitions — the Dodgers could enter the 2026 season with a much younger bullpen than their 2025 unit.
When he’s available, Vesia represents one of the surest options at Dave Roberts’ disposal, leaving little suspense around whether the Dodgers would pick up his 2026 option.
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