LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers exercised the $8.5 million contract option of second baseman John Forsythe for 2018 on Monday.
Forsythe, acquired from Tampa Bay last year for pitching prospect Jose De Leon, had a $1 million buyout if Los Angeles had not brought him back.
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Forsythe had a disappointing offensive year, batting .224 with six homers and a .678 OPS. By comparison, Minnesota's James Dozier, the other second baseman Dodgers management targeted last offseason, hit 34 homers with an .856 OPS. But the Dodgers chose Forsythe because the Rays were willing to make a one-for-one trade, and Dozier would have meant a higher price in return.
Forsythe did bat .290 against left-handed pitching, with an .870 OPS. He missed five weeks early in the season with a broken right big toe after being hit by a pitch.
In the postseason, Forsythe excelled, batting .297 with six RBIs in 14 games.
The Dodgers have seven free agents -- Yu Darvish, Andre Ethier, Curtis Granderson, Franklin Gutierrez, Brandon Morrow, Chase Utley and Tony Watson.
In addition, the Dodgers announced that utilityman O'Koyea Dickson has been outrighted to Triple-A Oklahoma City, and they reinstated Grant Dayton, Yimi Garcia, Scott Kazmir, Adam Liberatore, Josh Ravin and Alvin Toles from the 60-day disabled list.