Los Angeles Dodgers free agent reliever Michael Kopech has been linked to the New York Yankees this winter.
Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported the Yankees have shown interest in the right-hander.
“The Yankees also checked in on reliever Michael Kopech and starter Nick Martinez, among others,” Heyman writes.
Kopech became a free agent at the end of the 2025 season and has gained interest from other teams throughout the offseason. The San Francisco Giants have also reportedly “been in touch” with Kopech.
When Did Michael Kopech Join the Dodgers?
Kopech joined the Dodgers at the 2024 trade deadline, when L.A. acquired the reliever in a three-team trade with the Chicago White Sox and St. Louis Cardinals. The right-hander produced a 1.13 ERA with the Dodgers in 2024.
Kopech played a crucial role for the Dodgers’ World Series run in 2024, going 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA and 10 strikeouts across nine innings.
In 2025, the Dodgers hoped for the same success from the right-hander but injuries ultimately prevented Kopech from doing so. He made just 14 appearances for the Dodgers last season, posting a 2.45 ERA.
Across two seasons with the Dodgers, Kopech allowed just six runs with 41 strikeouts across 35 innings of work. Had Kopech been healthy last season, the Dodgers likely would have used the right-hander to replace Tanner Scott in the closer role amid the left-hander’s struggles.
Nevertheless, the Dodgers free agent is still available and the defending champions could orchestrate a reunion with Kopech to bolster the bullpen.
The Dodgers signed baseball’s best closer, Edwin Diaz, to a three-year, $69 million deal, which made the return of Kopech even less likely.
Given the Dodgers’ injury history with pitchers, signing Kopech to a short-term deal may not be a bad idea. From what has been reported, Kopech has gained interest from two contending teams in the Yankees and Giants.
That’s no surprise since the reliever is extremely talented when healthy. Dodgers Nation predicted Kopech to earn a two-year, $13.5 million deal with opt outs in free agency, and that can very well still be the case.
As spring training quickly approaches, several Dodgers free agents remain unsigned including Kiké Hernandez, Michael Conforto, Evan Phillips, and Kopech.
