Today was the deadline for players and teams to reach a settlement to avoid a possible arbitration case Evaders had four remaining players eligible for arbitration. As previously coveredthe team started the offseason with nine of those players, with Brusdar Graterol, Anthony Banda, Brock StewartAnd Alex Bell meeting the deadline day.
Alex Vesia was also eligible for arbitration, but the Dodgers exercised his contract option after the World Series, meaning he didn’t have to worry about the arbitration process this year.
Let’s see what happened to the quartet.
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Note: All arbitrage estimates are via MLB trade rumors.
RHP Brusdar Graterol – Arbitration 4 – $2.8 million expected – $2.8 million actual
Graterol is in his final year of arbitration after throwing just 7 1/3 innings over the past two years, which explains his relatively low salary given his quality. Since he was doubtful to return in late 2025 after his shoulder injury, he should be healthy for 2026, and the Dodgers could use him to strengthen their pen.
Bringing him back makes sense for a player with a career 2.78 ERA/3.20 FIP/3.03 xERA over 190.2 innings, as he has back-end relief potential at a front-end relief price.
One of the most casual outs you’ll see in a World Series game 😅 pic.twitter.com/DPqhoF9oon
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 26, 2024
LHP Anthony Banda – Arbitration 2 – $1.7 million expected – $1.625 million actual
Another success story for the Dodgers’ player development department, Banda has been a reliable workhorse for the pen since being pulled off the proverbial scrap heap in 2024. He’s thrown 114.2 innings over the last two years with the Dodgers, with a 3.14 ERA, but with a 4.15 FIP when he got into trouble last year, making him more of an expendable middle relief type (especially with Vesia under contract and the emergence of Jack Dreyer).
He has limited left-handedness to an OPS above 200 points among right-handers, so he would ideally be used situationally, but the fact that he can get the ball every day provides value for a pen that sometimes misses guys who do that. For a team that values roster spots, this probably wasn’t as obvious as it seemed likely to many, despite the low cost – and he’s likely a trade candidate at some point – but ultimately I think his reliability was a factor in the decision.
Bases full, no problem for Anthony Banda! pic.twitter.com/ZUmKualhMF
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) October 21, 2024
BY Alex Bell – Arbitration 1 – $1.5 million projected – $1.6 million Really
After passing by of the Nationals at the trade deadline, Call’s .242/.341/.371/.712 line was nearly identical to his career’s .247/.333/.384/.717 line, rather than showing the improved player he had become the previous year-plus. Despite being used primarily in a platoon role, he has relatively unspoken splits in his career, hitting righties better than lefties for the Dodgers. But in his first playoffs, he excelled in the platoon role as he became a rare thorn in his side Christopher Sanchez‘s side during the NLDS, finishing with a .364/.533/.364/.897 line overall (albeit in 15 PA).
Either way, this is a pittance for a player the Dodgers are likely counting on as a valuable fourth outfielder type, and he has three more years of team control after this, so it was a no-brainer to bring him back.
RHP Brock Stewart – Arbitration 1 – $1.4 million expected – $1.3 million actual
Stewart made his MLB debut with the Dodgers in 2016, and nearly a decade later, he’s headed to arbitration for the first time. That probably tells you enough about his injury history, and it’s not surprising that he needed shoulder surgery in 2025 after throwing just 3.2 innings with the team after arriving at the trade deadline.
Still, since returning to the Majors in 2023, Stewart has posted a 2.44 ERA/2.97 FIP in 81 innings, striking out 103 batters in that time. That effectiveness is why he was sought after, as he has back-end pen potential when healthy, and he’s on pace to be that again sometime in the first half of 2026. Given the trade for him and his low salary, he always returned as a high-risk, high-reward option for the pen on a team that can afford to take that gamble.
Brock Stewart is back with the Dodgers – and he’s not the same pitcher who left in 2019. His fastball/sweeper combination has been nasty in recent years, generating elite numbers in barrel%, hard hit% and expected batting average this season. A secretly good move. pic.twitter.com/j9xMSmuBS9
— ∞ The Infinite Dodger ∞ (@InfiniteDodger) July 31, 2025
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Overall, about what was expected (within $75,000), and it’s hard to argue with any move. Frankly, the most important thing is that there is no arbitration hearing drama to deal with, and all of this represents just another step in solidifying the 2026 roster.
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