The Los Angeles Dodgers made one move ahead of Tuesday’s Rule 5 Draft deadline, adding left-handed reliever Ronan Kopp to their 40-man roster.
It’s a notable selection given how quiet the Dodgers stayed while teams across baseball scrambled to protect prospects.
Kopp, a 23-year-old from Arizona, split last season between Double-A Tulsa and Triple-A Oklahoma City. He posted a 3.43 ERA over 57.2 innings with impressive strikeout numbers – he punched out 36% of hitters faced.
The control’s still coming along though. Kopp walked batters at about half his strikeout rate, which suggests the stuff is there but needs refinement.
What makes this move interesting is the timing. The Dodgers clearly see something in Kopp they want to protect, and adding him to the 40-man roster signals he’s got a legitimate shot at the majors in 2026.
That’d be welcome news for an organization that watched their bullpen struggle throughout 2025. The Dodgers will almost certainly spend this offseason addressing relief pitching through free agency and trades.
But developing internal options never hurts.
Kopp’s strikeout ability gives him a foundation to build on, and left-handed relievers always find opportunities. If he can tighten up the command, he could be part of the solution rather than just organizational depth.
The way I see it, protecting Kopp suggests the Dodgers think he’s close enough to contribute that losing him in the Rule 5 Draft would’ve stung. That’s encouraging for a prospect who’s still figuring out how to harness his arsenal.
