LOS ANGELES (AP) — The World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers exercised the contract options of third baseman Max Muncy and reliever Alex Vesia on Thursday.
The 35-year-old third baseman hit .243 with 19 homers and 67 RBIs in 100 games, spending time on the injured list with a and a .
His eighth-inning homer off Toronto rookie Trey Yesavage cut the Dodgers’ deficit to one run in Los Angeles’ . It was Muncy’s team-record 16th postseason homer.
If his option had been declined, Muncy would have been a free agent.
Los Angeles could have declined the option of Vesia, paid a $50,000 buyout and left him eligible for arbitration. The 29-year-old left-hander was 4-2 with a 3.02 ERA and five saves this year, when he had a $2.25 million salary. He missed the World Series because of a personal matter.
Also Thursday, former All-Star pitcher Tony Gonsolin was designated for assignment after his last two years were wracked by injuries.
The 31-year-old right-hander made just seven starts before having elbow surgery that ended his season this year. He previously missed all of 2024 while recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Gonsolin had a career year in 2022, when he opened 11-0 with a 2.02 ERA. He was the losing pitcher in the All-Star Game after allowing three runs on four hits, including two home runs. By August, he went on the injured list with a forearm strain and did not return until the penultimate game of the regular season. He finished 16-1 with a 2.14 ERA and 119 strikeouts.
The Dodgers added outfielder Ryan Ward and left-hander Robinson Ortiz to the 40-man roster.
Ward was the Pacific Coast League MVP this season, hitting .290 with 36 homers and 122 RBI for Triple-A Oklahoma City. Ortiz was 5-2 with a 2.73 ERA in 48 games between High-A and Triple-A.
Outfielder Justin Dean and right-hander Michael Grove were outrighted. Dean was claimed off waivers by the San Francisco Giants. Grove missed this season after having surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder. He had pitched in parts of the previous three seasons for the Dodgers.
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