Resetting the Dodgers’ 40-man roster after another disappointing playoff exit in 2023

Dustin Nosler 10/12/2023 Dodgers Analysis Leave A Comment

Same story, different year. The Dodgers have been ousted early from the playoffs again, and so, this post comes earlier than expected and hoped.

This is a look at where the 40-man roster stands as the Dodgers’ season ends.

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Free Agents (12)

All teams have an exclusive, five-day negotiating window after the World Series. After that time, they’ll be free to sign anywhere.

Brasier was the latest bullpen reclamation project to turn out well, but he might parlay that into a more lucrative deal with a second-division team. Having Kiké back was a breath of fresh air. He probably wants to return, and the Dodgers could use his presence in the clubhouse, so perhaps they figure out something that works for both parties. Heyward had a bounce-back season, but it was probably just a 1-year commitment for both sides. Marisnick ended the season on the injured list and probably won’t be back. Miller had a solid season and I could see the front office bringing him back on a low-risk deal, but Miller might be able to do better elsewhere. Nelson cannot stay healthy and it’s hard to see the Dodgers using a 40-man spot on him — at least not until the spring when the temptation kicks in again. Peralta was a solid veteran signing who probably won’t be back. Rosario was about the same player for LA that he was for Cleveland, so with Gavin Lux coming back and Miguel Rojas and Chris Taylor still around (and maybe Hernandez), there doesn’t seem to be a ton of room for him — especially seeing as he was left off the NLDS roster. Wong was a late-season flyer who didn’t really work out. He might be toward the end of his career.

I purposely left the three most notable guys for their own grafs.

Urias should never play in the majors again, let alone the Dodgers. I cannot see any team giving him an opportunity because he’s a literal piece of shit.

Martinez is interesting. He had a resurgent 2023 season with the Dodgers, posting his highest ISO (.301) since the 2017 season. The power came back, even if his strikeouts went up and his walks went down. However, if the Dodgers do plan on pursuing Shohei Ohtani this winter, there’s no way they can bring Martinez back, and they definitely wouldn’t be able to get him for a paltry $10 million. My guess is he ends up with a team that needs a powerful right-handed bat who can’t play the field.

And now we get to Kershaw. Before he hurt his shoulder, his 2023 was looking pretty remarkable for a guy in his 16th season who has been up-and-down (for him) for the last few seasons. He came back late in the season and was clearly not the same. He said his shoulder is OK, but players lie. He got demolished in the NLDS, and that could be the end of his career. He was not exactly confident in answering when asked about his future. Eric Stephen wrote a nice article about Kershaw and why he thinks this could be it for him because of his shoulder injury. Let’s hope the shoulder is OK, Kershaw wants to continue playing and wants to return to the Dodgers.

Option (6)

  • RHP Daniel Hudson – $6.5 million club option
  • RHP Joe Kelly – $9.5 million club w/ $1 million buyout
  • RHP Lance Lynn – $18 million club option w/ $1 million buyout
  • 3B Max Muncy – $10 million club option
  • RHP Alex Reyes – $3 million club option w/ $100,000 buyout
  • RHP Blake Treinen – $1-7 million, contingent on time spent on injured list in 2023

Hudson’s option is plenty reasonable and should probably be exercised. Kelly is a fan and Andrew Friedman favorite, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see it exercised. Despite the Dodgers’ starting pitching staff being in shambles at the end of the season, I think they decline Lynn’s option and use that extra $17 million (or some portion of it) elsewhere. Muncy’s deal is an easy exercise. However, I could see the Dodgers shopping him in the offseason. Reyes probably gets the buyout and maybe comes back on a minor-league deal should he and the Dodgers want that. Treinen’s option seems like an easy exercise as well, as long as his health prognosis is positive.

Under Contract (6)

The only guys under contract beyond the 2024 season. Barnes and Rojas both have 2025 options, while Gonsolin will have two more arbitration years after the 2024 season. Betts and Freeman are here for the long haul, while Taylor has an option for 2026.

Arbitration Eligible (13)

All arbitration estimates are via MLB Trade Rumors.

All but Yarbrough, Almonte and Suero should be tendered contracts. Almonte had a solid 2022 season, but took a step back in 2023. He’s pretty cheap, so I could see the Dodgers bringing him back in hopes of rediscovering some magic. Suero is an easy non-tender, while Yarbrough is a 50/50 call. He’s unlike any pitcher the Dodgers have, which isn’t a bad thing. He also saw his strikeout rate improve dramatically in his 38 2/3 innings with LA (23%) than at any time in his career (18.7%), so the front office might be intrigued with that.

Pre-Arbitration/Minor Leagues (16)

The following players don’t have enough service time to be arbitration-eligible or don’t have long-term contracts. They’ll be making peanuts compared to everyone else above.

All guys making the MLB minimum or slightly higher. Most should make it through the winter in the org, provided they aren’t traded. Some could be roster fodder, should the 40-man spot be needed (Cyr, Hudson, Varland).

Restricted List (1)

I’m always going to keep a spot for Tolesy.

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Here’s a breakdown of where the 40-man roster stands.

  • 16 Pre-Arbitration/Minor Leagues
  • 13 Arbitration Eligible
  • 6 Under Contract
  • 6 Options

The roster stands at 41 players since some of the guys listed above ended the season on the 60-day IL. Gonsolin and May will head there when Spring Training begins, so that’ll open up a couple spots. There’s an outside chance Feyereisen could join them, depending how he has recovered from rotator cuff surgery, as well as Treinen, depending on his status. If Lynn’s and Reyes’ options are declined, that opens up another two spots (same goes for any of the other guys whose options get declined). After that, we have to account for players to protect from the 2023 Rule 5 Draft.

Here are the notable players who are R5-eligible for the first time. All players who were previously eligible, still in the org and not added to the 40-man roster are also eligible. Some of those players (provided they aren’t eligible for and elect minor-league free agency) include Carlos Duran (RHP), Hunter Feduccia (C), Braydon Fisher (RHP), Alec Gamboa (LHP), Edgardo Henriquez (RHP), Jose Ramos (OF) and so on.

Position Players

Pitchers

Not a lot of new guys who could be plucked in a R5 scenario. I have to think Frasso and Knack will be protected, with an outside chance of Fernandez or Taylor also getting protected. Bruce will have a more in-depth post on this later in the offseason.

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It’s hard to want a shake-up of a 100-win team, but this team — at the end of the season, at least — wasn’t a true 100-win team. The starting pitching needs to be sorted out. They have some guys who showed promise, but there are also some holes to fill. And the offense needs to figure out how not to shit the bed in the playoffs, as it has in all but two years since this 11-year run began in 2013.

Ohtani should be in play, as should Yoshinobu Yamamoto. With the way the Dodgers skimped and saved last offseason (and still failing to reset the luxury tax that they care so much about), a big splash should be on the menu. We’ll see what happens, but this could be one of the most important offseasons Friedman has had in his time running the Dodgers. It could determine how well this team/org is setup for the next half-decade.

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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.
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