Our latest roster preview heading into spring training looks at the Dodgers bullpen, which like the outfield was bolstered by signing the best free agent available.

Swimming in the deep end: For the second offseason in a row, the Dodgers spent big on a reliever, signing Edwin Díaz for three years and $69 million, breaking his own record for highest average annual value for a reliever. Much like signing Kyle Tucker to improve the outfield, the Dodgers saw a weakness and plugged the hole with the best-possible (and most expensive) option on this year’s free agent market. Díaz’s ERA started with a one in four of his last seven seasons, and his xERA has been above 2.66 only once in his nine-season career. Díaz over the last two seasons is second among MLB relievers in both strikeout rate (38.4 percent) and strikeout-minus-walk rate (29.7 percent). That’ll play.

Bazooka loading: Since joining the Dodgers in 2020, Brusdar Graterol has been one of the team’s best relievers, with a 2.69 ERA and 3.06 xERA, thanks to a 61.9-percent groundball rate that ranks eighth in MLB in that time among pitchers with at least 150 innings. The problem is Graterol has only pitched 204 innings over the last six seasons, including the postseason. He only pitched 9 2/3 innings in 2024, and didn’t pitch at all in 2025 after shoulder surgery. Graterol is back and healthy now, so expect him to pitch important innings if he’s showing anything near his career norms.

That still leaves three bullpen spots for the inevitable revolving door to fill innings as needed, a must in this current era of pitcher churning. The Dodgers used 39 pitchers in 2023, then set franchise records with 40 pitchers in each of the last two seasons. Expect something near that again this year. But to have seven pitchers listed above all with minor league options, plus starting pitching depth Ben Casparius, Justin Wrobleski, and Landon Knack (before even considering River Ryan and Gavin Stone, each coming off surgery) in the same boat, the cupboard is well-stocked.