Dodgers secure Max Muncy with 2027 extension, 2028 option in latest long-term bet
The Dodgers added another year of certainty at third base on Thursday, February 12, 2026 (ET), finalizing a new agreement with Max Muncy that guarantees him $10 million for the 2027 season and includes a club option for 2028.
The deal at a glance
The one-year extension locks in a $7 million salary for 2027 and carries a $10 million club option for 2028 with a $3 million buyout. Functionally, it gives the team a net $7 million decision on Muncy’s age-37 season in 2028 while guaranteeing him $10 million up front. It is the fourth extension between the sides in the past six years, a continuation of the trust built since Muncy emerged as a lineup staple in Los Angeles.
Thursday’s move follows a series of team-friendly controls that began with a three-year, $26 million pact covering his arbitration years in 2020, successive club options for 2023 and 2024, and a renegotiated two-year, $24 million agreement after the 2023 season that included a $10 million club option for 2026. The club exercised that 2026 option in November, paving the way for the newly announced 2027 layer and 2028 decision.
A decade in Dodger Blue
Muncy’s path to this point remains one of the franchise’s great success stories. After signing a minor league deal ahead of the 2018 season, he broke out immediately with a .263/.391/.582 line and 35 home runs in his first campaign in Los Angeles. Since then, he has been a persistently above-average offensive presence in seven of eight seasons, the lone dip coming in the shortened 2020 slate when his .192/.331/.398 line hovered just below league average.
With this extension, Muncy is effectively positioned to spend a full decade with the club. He will reach 10 years of major league service on the 145th day of the 2026 season, which will confer full trade veto rights under the 10-and-5 provision (10 years of service, the last five with the same team). The new deal further underscores the team’s intention to keep him anchored at third base through at least 2027.
Production amid injuries
Availability has been the main variable for Muncy in recent years. He averaged 111 games per season over the past four years, with the most recent campaign limited to 100 games as he managed a bone bruise in his knee and an oblique strain. Even with the interruptions, his bat remained a difference-maker: a .243/.376/.470 performance with 19 home runs across 388 plate appearances, punctuated by a career-best 16.5% walk rate that reflects his elite strike-zone command.
That on-base prowess and left-handed power continue to offer reliable run production, particularly against right-handed pitching. The profile gives the lineup length and balance around marquee bats, even as the club carefully monitors workload and matchups to keep Muncy fresh deep into the season.
Role clarity at third base
The extension also clarifies the infield picture for the next two years. Muncy is locked into third base, where the club has grown comfortable trading some defensive variance for his on-base and power upside. He has not been a second base option for several seasons. Across the diamond, Freddie Freeman is under contract through 2027, and the designated hitter at-bats remain earmarked for Shohei Ohtani, reinforcing the logic of keeping Muncy at the hot corner when healthy.
Defensive metrics have delivered a mixed verdict in recent seasons. One prominent measure has graded him as above average at third base each of the past two years, while another pegged him roughly average in 2024 and below average in 2025. The club’s calculus clearly favors what his bat brings to run prevention and creation overall, with strategic rest and late-game substitutions available to manage the glove.
Platoon planning and long-term implications
While Muncy punished left-handed pitching earlier in his tenure, performance in left-on-left matchups has cooled in recent seasons. The roster’s depth and flexibility make targeted platoon support an option without sacrificing his everyday presence against right-handers. The new agreement also intersects with his impending 10-and-5 status during the 2026 season, effectively giving him control over any trade scenarios thereafter—another sign this partnership is built for the long haul.
Financially, the 2027 guarantee and 2028 club option keep costs predictable while preserving upside if his health and production align. For a club prioritizing elite on-base skills and run creation, extending Muncy once more fits the broader roster strategy: stabilize key positions, surround stars with durable on-base threats, and maintain optionality year to year.
