The Los Angeles Dodgers are World Series champs, but they won’t be able to keep their entire roster together as they pursue a repeat in 2025.
After falling short of preseason expectations for the last couple of years, the Los Angeles Dodgers didn’t disappoint anyone (except maybe New York Yankees fans) in 2024. The team turned in its lowest full-season regular season win total since 2018, but it left no doubts in the postseason en route to winning its second World Series in the last five years.
While there’s still some time to celebrate the win, and the parade hasn’t even happened yet, there’s no time to rest on your laurels in baseball. The offseason is now officially here, and there are 29 teams with their eyes on the Dodgers now. And while this team has no trouble attracting top-end talent, you can’t always have everyone you want on the roster.
Here are nine Dodgers who may not be back when the World Series champs pursue a repeat in 2025.
1. Walker Buehler
Sad as it is, this one’s starting to feel like a foregone conclusion. Walker Buehler is not the ace he was back in 2021. Injury issues left him posting a 5.38 ERA across 16 starts in 2024, and most of his underlying metrics (5.54 FIP, 4.49 xFIP, career low velocity on his fastball) show that it was just a fluky stretch of struggles.
We’ll talk plenty about pitching as I go on with some more names on this list, but the Dodgers have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to options for their 2025 starting rotation — even before we consider the free agents they could decide to be in on.
Even if Buehler decided to take a massively club-friendly deal, it’s hard to imagine the Dodgers deciding he’s worth a roster spot next season. At least we’re sending him away with another World Series win.
2. Daniel Hudson
Daniel Hudson had a great postseason, ranging anywhere from “reliable” to “lights out” in most of his appearances. But it’s not like the Dodgers wouldn’t have won the World Series without him, and it certainly doesn’t cover up for the fact taht the 2024 season was one of his worst in recent memory. And when you’re 37 years old, that matters a lot.
Hudson’s regular season velocity numbers were his lowest since way back in 2012, and while he did show some signs of improved control with that drop in velocity, he did still end up with a 17.4% walk rate. That’s well above his 15.1% career average. All indicators are that Hudson is on the decline at the end of his career, and there’s no point in trying to catch a falling knife here.
Hudson was a valuable part of the bullpen in 2024, and only Alex Vesia made more appearances in the regular season. He’s been a valuable part of this bullpen for a few years now, and Dodgers fans will be thankful for his service. But the fact remains that finding a veteran mercenary arm for your bullpen in free agency (or via in-season trade next year) is not a difficult task. And with the Dodgers being such an appealing club to play for, L.A. won’t have any trouble finding plenty of willing upgrades for Hudson.
The Dodgers don’t need to try catching a falling knife with Hudson’s declining play heading into his age-38 season.
3. Miguel Rojas
A 35-year-old veteran who spent the last two seasons with the Dodgers, Miguel Rojas feels like an obvious cut candidate as the Dodgers try to revamp the roster for a potential championship repeat. After playing his rookie campaign in Los Angeles, Rojas returned for a swan song and can now end his career with a well-deserved championship.
Rojas appeared in 103 games this season with .283/.337/.410 hitting splits, notching six home runs with 36 RBIs. He had 23 walks to 34 strikeouts, showcasing the plate discipline that’s helped give Rojas such a long career.
He likely will have value for a rising team in need of a veteran presence, though the Dodgers are best suited looking for other contributors with more promise.
Rojas has a club option next season. Considering Los Angeles is expected to pursue major free agents like Juan Soto, Rojas feels like an expected cap casualty barring a surprise. He appeared in one World Series game, going 0-for-3 with a strikeout, yet had a pair of hits in the NLCS and certainly earned his championship.
USA Today MLB insider Bob Nightengale has already revealed that he believes the Dodgers’ Opening Day shortstop for 2025 will come from outside the organization. Few teams, if any, utilize analytics better than Los Angeles does, so it’s fair to think Nightengale’s prediction will prove true in the end.
4. Jack Flaherty
Jack Flaherty was nearly a villian after a disastrous start in Game 5, instantly letting Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm blast home runs before being knocked out early. He performed admirably overall during the postseason but his inconsistent history suggests the hometown kid shouldn’t be part of the organization’s future plans.
Perhaps the Dodgers offer an extension and keep him around as a back-end rotation guy. That would be a mistake. Flaherty had a 3.58 ERA in 10 starts for Los Angeles after a stellar start to the year for Detroit. He’ll command a large extension, though his history implies a lesser franchise should take that chance.
Flaherty underperformed in his biggest moments, surrendering eight runs to the Mets and four to the Yankees in massive moments. This is a classic “buyer beware” situation. Considering how the Dodgers need to allocate their money, Flaherty shouldn’t be on the team next year.
It’s hard to argue with an effective rental who started the World Series-winning game, yet the successful rental can be just that. Flaherty would be, at best, the fourth or fifth starter in the rotation should Los Angeles field a competitive unit in 2025.
Acquiring Flaherty was a good move, yet is still one that shouldn’t hamstring the roster.
5. Joe Kelly
This is the perfect offseason for the Dodgers to get younger while maximizing the outstanding core of the team. Joe Kelly has been a fan-favorite reliever for years, having spent five total seasons with the organization, though he’s at the end of his career and doesn’t represent the kind of high-upside play that’ll maximize Los Angeles’ championship window.
Kelly fell off a statistical cliff in 2024 with a 4.78 ERA in 35 appearances. Prior to being acquired by the Dodgers, Kelly had a 6.08 ERA with the White Sox in 2022 and a 4.97 mark in 2023. He fooled some with a 1.74 ERA after his 2023 trade, though his diminishing skills were on full display this season.
He’s 36 and did not appear in the postseason. If Los Angeles intended to keep him moving forward, Kelly would’ve been a logical reliever to keep on the team.
Since the Dodgers elected to bench him, the writing is already on the wall for the controversial veteran. He’ll go down remembered as an effective reliever capable of great things, but it’s clear it’s time to say goodbye before things unravel.
Assuming Los Angeles is successful in bolstering the pitching staff in free agency, the bullpen needs to trend toward younger, high-upside throwers. Kelly isn’t that, so he’s likely played his final game in a Dodgers uniform.
6. Kevin Kiermaier
A beloved long-term veteran, Kevin Kiermaier has already announced his retirement. He wanted to go out on top and successfully accomplished that goal, winning his first World Series in an illustrious 12-year career.
Long considered a great leader and reliable producer for the Rays and Blue Jays, Kiermaier will be remembered as an effective, versatile player who worked hard and contributed wherever necessary. The Dodgers have the benefit of being a franchise with heavy pockets, so they can easily move on from veterans like Kiermaier while other teams may need to persuade him to stay on the field.
His decision has been made regardless. He’ll go out with career batting splits of .246/.304/.402 and 95 home runs to 378 RBIs. Kiermaier was left off the playoff roster but still provided a veteran presence to help this ballclub.
While he wasn’t on the roster for long, Kiermaier still made a difference and his retirement should be celebrated.
Few get to go out as champions. Kiermaier is one of the lucky ones and Dodgers fans should remember him fondly.
7. Enrique Hernandez
Enrique “Kike” Hernandez is also a long-time veteran and made a big contribution in the World Series, scoring a pair of runs with two hits and a walk against the Yankees in the final game.
He falls in line with a lot of other players on this list, simply representing an aging player at a position that the organization could improve at. We all know Los Angeles has perhaps the deepest pockets in the league. That being said, responsibly using that budget will determine whether or not the Dodgers can turn two titles in a handful of years into a full hand of rings.
Hernandez’s versatility is valuable. However, the Dodgers have let him walk before and are likely to do so again. The front office needs to prioritize top-end upside instead of veteran reliability, so Hernandez will likely be looking for another team once it’s all said and done.
He’s a jack-of-all-trades but master of none. Even worse, he’s declining. Should this be the end, Hernandez will go out with memorable moments in the postseason and a crucial role in delivering fans another title.
Perhaps the free agent market will run thin and Hernandez can return at a discount. Otherwise, we saw a fine final game in the biggest moment.
8. Austin Barnes
Terrible hitter, fans have long wanted him gone. Club option and fans would riot if they picked it up.
Few players have been more obvious cut candidates than Austin Barnes. He appeared in only 54 games this season with admittedly solid batting splits of .264/.331/.307. However, the .307 slugging percentage suggests the problem with Los Angeles’ third-string catcher.
He has no power to his name whatsoever, belting one home run in 140 at-bats on a team that theoretically encourages extra-base hits. Barnes is 34 years old with limited upside, so it seems that the franchise has already elected to go separate ways.
Having spent his entire 10-year career with the Dodgers, Barnes should be a beloved departure. He has a club option in 2025 but few expect the organization to exercise his contract. Considering his only postseason appearance came as a defensive replacement, we all already know where this is going.
Barnes should be remembered as a valuable veteran who helped fans celebrate championships. Even still, it’s time to move on.
9. Teoscar Hernandez
Perhaps the most interesting player on this list, Teoscar Hernandez broke out as a true slugger and most fans should hope to keep him on the team. If Hernandez has spent his final days in a Dodgers uniform, it’ll be because Los Angeles secured an upgrade.
He belted three home runs in the postseason, serving as one of the most dangerous hitters in the lineup. With Juan Soto’s impending pursuit being the largest storyline of the offseason, Hernandez is the logical cut candidate if the front office is successful.
Hernandez had 33 home runs and 99 RBIs in his lone year with the team. It’s obvious he deserves a large contract and could be a foundational piece in future years, yet he’s not at Soto’s level and could become a cap casualty if ownership has its way.
That being said, keeping Hernandez would be a fine consolation prize. He has the type of charasmatic energy that fans rally around with enough talent to support the expectations.
Whether or not Hernandez will return will become obvious over the coming weeks. Should the Dodgers find a better option, they’ll let him walk. If they fall short, Hernandez will return and continue to make fans excited to have one of the best values in the sport handling a corner outfield spot.
