Dodgers Spurned By Top Reliever in Free Agency: Report

Sep 23, 2025; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves relief pitcher Raisel Iglesias (26) pitches against the Washington Nationals during the ninth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Dodgers are set up well to compete for their third consecutive World Series title next season.

They have the bats, with Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts and others returning to continue providing one of the most dominant lineups in baseball. Their starting pitching is even more elite, with starters Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell, Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Emmet Sheehan all returning, with a promising young talent in Roki Sasaki looking to develop into a reliable starter in 2026.

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One department in which the Dodgers are clearly lacking is their bullpen, which struggled mightily last season to the point that Dodgers manager Dave Roberts showed a clear preference towards using starters in relief during the postseason rather than trusting the highly-paid bullpen.

The bullpen held a 4.27 ERA in the regular season, the second-lowest among the 12 playoff teams and their 1.33 WHIP ranked 20th in Major League Baseball.

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With these struggles in mind, the Dodgers are expected to pursue a reliable closer in the offseason as their disappointment in Tanner Scott — who they signed to a four-year, $72 million deal last offseason — comes to a head.

The Dodgers reportedly pursued free agent Raisel Iglesias, who has served as the Atlanta Braves' closer over the past four seasons. Iglesias struggled at the start of the season but posted a 1.25 ERA over his final 45 appearances.

According to reporter Francys Romero, the Dodgers extended an offer worth around $16 million to Iglesias, but the 35-year-old took a similar deal to remain with the Braves.

Per sources, Raisel Iglesias received offers from the Dodgers and Blue Jays worth around $16 million, but ultimately chose to return to the Braves.

— Francys Romero (@francysromeroFR) November 20, 2025

“We know he fits in the clubhouse,” Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said. “We know the health. We know the makeup. We know the ability. He's such a great fit for us. He wanted to be here. I don’t want to speak for him, but I think his goal and his first choice was to be back in Atlanta.”

The Braves had considered trading Iglesias at the July 31 deadline after a disappointing start, but hoped there would be a long term payoff by keeping their closer around.

There are still plenty of intriguing closers on the free agent market that the Dodgers are expected to court, including Edwin Diaz, who spent the 2025 season with the New York Mets.

For more Dodgers news, head over to Dodgers on SI.