Alex Vesia wanted in on Team USA’s plans for the 2026 World Baseball Classic. He did not get there, and he says the decision was made after officials told him he would be a backup if anything.
Vesia, 30, said he had been telling Team USA for two years that he wanted to play. But after hearing how limited the role would be, he and his family decided he was out, a choice shaped by how much he believes this season already has riding on it. “We have too much riding on this season to be 50/50. Either I’m all in or I’m all out,” he said.
The left-hander is trying to make his own case anyway. In his first 10 appearances this season, Vesia faced 31 batters, struck out 10, allowed two hits and walked three, a sharp stretch that has kept him in the Dodgers’ plans while he heads toward free agency for the first time next winter.
His reasons were as practical as they were personal. Vesia said the World Baseball Classic, staged in the middle of spring training, would have forced the Dodgers to handle parts of his buildup differently. He also comes into this year carrying the memory of last year's World Series, which he missed after the death of his newborn daughter.
Team USA did not leave him out of the picture entirely, but it filled its left-handed relief spots with Garrett Cleavinger and Gabe Speier and also included Clayton Kershaw. Vesia joked about the choices, saying, “Speier and Clevenger were the two and then they had this old man named ‘Clayton Kershaw.’ Never heard of him,” before adding that he knew Clevinger well and that the selections were fine with him.
The World Baseball Classic is moving back to a four-year cycle after the next edition, and the tournament is not scheduled again until 2030. That makes the near-term window narrow for players like Vesia, who still said he would put his name in the hat again if another chance comes along. “If there’s other options, that’s alright with me. Fair enough,” he said.
For now, though, the answer was straightforward. Vesia wanted the roster spot, but once Team USA made clear how it viewed his role, he chose the season in front of him.