LOS ANGELES — The longest-tenured Dodger isn’t going anywhere.
The Dodgers and Max Muncy have agreed to a one-year contract extension worth $10 million guaranteed, a deal that includes a $7 million salary for the 2027 season and a $10 million club option for 2028. In practical terms, the Dodgers have their starting third baseman locked in for the next two seasons, with the flexibility to keep him for a third.
For a franchise that rarely lets sentiment interfere with strategy, this is one of those rare instances where the two align perfectly.
Muncy, 36, has become as synonymous with this era of Dodgers baseball as October crowds and late-inning comebacks. And while the organization continues to cycle in superstars and All-Stars, it’s Muncy — the once-discarded waiver claim turned middle-of-the-order mainstay — who has outlasted them all.
Last season was, in many ways, a snapshot of who Muncy is at this stage of his career. He played 100 games, slashing .243/.376/.470 with 19 home runs and 67 RBIs. The batting average will never tell his full story. The on-base percentage does. So does the power. So does the way he grinds through at-bats that feel as if they tilt entire innings.
And, of course, so does October.
John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy (13) hits a home run against the Toronto Blue Jays in the eighth inning during game seven of the 2025 MLB World Series at Rogers Centre.
Muncy finished the postseason with three home runs, none bigger than his blast in Game 7 of the World Series that pulled the Dodgers within a run and jolted life into a stadium holding its breath. It was vintage Muncy — patient, dangerous, unbothered by the moment.
That’s part of what the Dodgers are paying for here. Not just production, but presence.
This marks Muncy’s fourth team-friendly extension with the club, a reflection of something he’s never been shy about: his desire to finish his career in Los Angeles. In an industry built on maximizing value, Muncy has repeatedly prioritized continuity. The Dodgers, in turn, have rewarded that loyalty without overextending themselves.
From a roster standpoint, the deal is tidy. The $7 million salary for 2027 is modest by modern standards for a starting-caliber third baseman with Muncy’s track record, and the $10 million club option for 2028 provides insurance if his bat remains productive. If age begins to show more definitively, the Dodgers retain flexibility.
But make no mistake — this isn’t a ceremonial extension.
Muncy remains one of the most productive hitters in franchise history. He ranks seventh all-time in Dodgers home runs with 209, just two shy of Steve Garvey for sixth. In 924 games with the club, he’s slashed .232/.358/.485 with 587 RBIs, 566 runs scored, a 129 wRC+ and 23.3 WAR. Those aren’t just solid numbers. They’re cornerstone numbers for one of the most successful stretches the organization has ever had.
And they’ve come in every conceivable role — second baseman, first baseman, third baseman, cleanup hitter, tone-setter, clubhouse constant.
There is also something to be said for familiarity. As the Dodgers continue to blend established stars with emerging talent, Muncy provides connective tissue to a clubhouse that has seen waves of change. He understands the expectations here. He embodies them. The patience at the plate. The willingness to take a walk in a key spot. The refusal to shrink in October.
At 36, he is no longer the undervalued breakout story. He’s a known quantity. But for this organization, that’s precisely the point.
The Dodgers didn’t just extend a player. They extended a standard.
For at least two more seasons — and perhaps three — Muncy will continue to dig in at third base, adjust his batting gloves, and work counts the way he always has. And for a franchise with championship aspirations every year, there’s comfort in knowing one of its most reliable October bats isn’t going anywhere.