Will 'pen be strength for Dodgers in '26? Here's who's in the mix

LOS ANGELES -- As Spring Training nears, we'll take a look at how the Dodgers stack up around the diamond. We've covered catchers, infielders, outfielders and the rotation. Last but not least: the bullpen.

The Dodgers' relief corps was much maligned in 2025, a weakness they needed to overcome in order to defend their title. With a key addition at the back end and expected bouncebacks from other important arms, L.A. is hoping to bring a mightier 'pen into its three-peat bid.

Here's a breakdown of the Dodgers' bullpen heading into 2026:

Locks: RHP Edwin Díaz (closer), LHP Tanner Scott, RHP Brusdar Graterol, LHP Alex Vesia, RHP Blake Treinen
With the addition of Díaz on a three-year, $69 million contract, the back end of the 'pen looks awfully dangerous. Then again, the Dodgers seemed to have assembled a superpowered bullpen last year, and it did not perform up to their expectations.

While the Dodgers have been hesitant to pencil in anyone definitively as their closer since the days of Kenley Jansen, Díaz is taking over the job in his first year in L.A. That could help stabilize the roles for Scott (4.74 ERA in 2025) and Treinen (5.40 ERA), both of whom are seeking to rebound from a tough year. Vesia was one of the Dodgers' steadiest relievers, and in all likelihood, he'll reprise his fireman role in the late innings.

Graterol is set to return after missing all of 2025 due to right shoulder labrum surgery. The Dodgers certainly missed his presence last season, as they were lacking a true shutdown right-hander for much of the year. Graterol can be just that for them, having held righty batters to a .524 OPS in his career.

Top options for remaining spots: RHP Ben Casparius, LHP Jack Dreyer, RHP Edgardo Henriquez, RHP Kyle Hurt, RHP Will Klein, RHP Brock Stewart, LHP Justin Wrobleski
If the Dodgers choose to carry a balanced bullpen between lefties and righties, then they would look to add two more left-handers and another right-hander to join the aforementioned five names. There are two subcategories among those in the mix for the remaining spots, true relievers and length options. Let's start with the true relievers: Dreyer, Henriquez, Klein and Stewart.

Dreyer should have the inside track for a spot in the bullpen after a strong rookie season, ranking third on the pitching staff with 67 appearances and sixth with 76 1/3 innings. Henriquez and Klein should both get an extended look during Spring Training, as both showed promise in big league stints last year, not to mention their extra-innings heroics in Game 3 of the World Series. Stewart could have been in the lock category if he wasn't expected to miss the beginning of the regular season while finishing his rehab from a right shoulder debridement procedure.

Then there are the length options: Casparius, Hurt and Wrobleski. Casparius had a strong first two months of 2025 before fading when he was briefly shifted to the rotation. Wrobleski had an up-and-down regular season, pitching in both long and short-burst relief, before emerging as a trusted arm during the World Series. Hurt was sidelined due to Tommy John surgery, but made it into Minor League games by the end of the year. With some uncertainty surrounding Blake Snell's status for Opening Day, these three should be viewed as potential rotation depth in addition to bullpen options.

Other organizational depth
On the 40-man roster, the Dodgers have some additional depth pieces who could see time with the big league pitching staff: left-hander Ronan Kopp and right-handers Paul Gervase, Landon Knack and Bobby Miller. Miller is an interesting case, just two years removed from being viewed as a potential No. 2 starter. He struggled both as a starter and a reliever last year with Triple-A Oklahoma City.

The Dodgers also have some intriguing non-roster options. One pitcher worth monitoring is right-hander José Rodríguez, who will be in big league camp again as a non-roster invitee. Rodríguez moved quickly through the system during the past two seasons and struck out 84 batters in 54 innings between Double-A Tulsa and Oklahoma City last year.