Dodgers decline Joe Kelly’s $12 million option; outright Alexander, 2 others

Joe Kelly. Photo by: Cody Bashore

While there probably won’t be a lot of roster movement before the new Collective Bargaining Agreement is agreed to, there have been a few 40-man roster moves in the last couple days.

Dodgers decline Kelly’s $12 million option

The Dodgers declined their $12 million club option on reliever Joe Kelly. Instead, they’ll pay him a $4 million buyout.

Kelly hurt his right bicep in Game 5 of the NLCS against the Braves, and he dealt with injury issues in his 3-year stint as a Dodger. Still, he pitched relatively well in his time as a Dodger.

  • 3.59 ERA
  • 3.46 FIP
  • 26.9 K%
  • 9.8 BB%
  • 59.9 GB%

Honestly, it’s probably a lot better than a lot expected when the Dodgers signed him in the 2018-19 offseason.

There is thought that the Dodgers could bring him back at a reduced rate, which would seemingly imply that his injury is a bit more severe. Otherwise, I’m sure the Dodgers would have just exercised the option, seeing as $8 million (difference between $12 million option and $4 million buyout) a season is about the going rate for a solid, non-closer reliever these days.

Dodgers outright Alexander, two others

The Dodgers also outrighted three players off their 40-man roster on Friday — Scott Alexander, Andy Burns and Jimmie Sherfy.

Alexander was arbitraiton-eligible for the third time and was projected to make $1.3 million. Instead of that, the Dodgers exposed him to waivers and he went unclaimed. If he’s still with the org come the start of next season, he’ll likely be in Triple-A.

Burns was the injury replacement for Justin Turner in the NLCS, but the Dodgers felt comfortable jettisoning him off the 40-man. I’m not sure I laid the sarcasm on thick enough, but this is no big loss. He’s a career Quad-A/utility player.

Sherfy pitched for both the Giants and Dodgers last season, but he finished last season on the 60-day injured list. His tour of the NL West could continue next season. He still has Colorado and San Diego on the list.

The 40-man roster is currently at 36 players, with 60-day IL guys still to be added to the roster.

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Sorry the roster news wasn’t more exciting. I wouldn’t expect anything big for the time being … unless the Dodgers and Clayton Kershaw agree to a deal before the CBA expires. It doesn’t seem likely, but eventually, it’s something that needs to happen.

About Dustin Nosler

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Dustin Nosler began writing about the Dodgers in July 2009 at his blog, Feelin' Kinda Blue. He co-hosted a weekly podcast with Jared Massey called Dugout Blues. He was a contributor/editor at The Hardball Times and True Blue LA. He graduated from California State University, Sacramento, with his bachelor’s degree in journalism and a minor in digital media. While at CSUS, he worked for the student-run newspaper The State Hornet for three years, culminating with a 1-year term as editor-in-chief. He resides in Stockton, Calif.