Wednesday, November 8, 2023
Copyrighted by Sarah Morris, 2023
The Los Angeles Dodgers didn’t pick up options on Joe Kelly, Alex Reyes, Daniel Hudson, and Lance Lynn. They didn’t want to give J.D. Martinez or Clayton Kershaw the qualifying offers. From the outside, the Dodgers don’t know what they are doing for the upcoming season.
At 35, Kelly has been injury-prone. Although he is excellent when healthy, he will spend time on the IL. The Dodgers don’t want to pay Kelly $9.5 million in 2024. They need a solid bullpen to be an elite team. They can re-sign Kelly to a lesser-value deal for the 2024 season.
The Dodgers traded for a fan-favorite Kelly from the Chicago Cubs in July. While he spent some time on the IL with a forearm strain, Kelly helped the bullpen elite. Especially if the Dodgers don’t re-sign Ryan Brasier, they must re-sign Kelly for a veteran presence in the bullpen.
No one is surprised the Dodgers didn’t pick up the options on Reyes, Hudson, and Lynn. Reyes never threw a pitch for the Dodgers and had shoulder surgery in July.
In 2023, Hudson pitched in two games for the Dodgers before suffering another knee injury. Although he is good when healthy, his major league career has been marred by severe injuries. At 36, Hudson may retire after the 2023 season.
When the Dodgers traded for Lynn, they were desperate for a starter who could pitch at least six innings. Lynn served that role in August, but then, he began struggling. At 36, Lynn doesn’t have the different-looking pitches or various velocities, so he allowed 44 home runs during the 2023 regular season. Many Dodger fans will see the fourth inning of Game 3 in the NLDS when Lynn allowed four home runs. The Dodgers had an $18 million option on Lynn for 2024.
The Dodgers surprised their fans when they picked up the $1 million on Blake Treinen. Over the last two seasons, Treinen has pitched five innings for the Dodgers. In October 2022, underwent right shoulder surgery. While he tried to come back in the 2023 season, he couldn’t. No one knows if Treinen can pitch and be effective in the 2024 season.
The buzz around the Dodgers is whether they will sign Shohei Ohtani. He is poised to win his second American League MVP. He might be the most talented player in baseball since Babe Ruth retired. While Ohtani can’t pitch in the 2024 regular season following his second Tommy John surgery, he is still valuable to every team.
The Dodgers need another star to maintain their fanbase. Although they go to the postseason after every season, fans are growing tired of watching them lose in the postseason. The Dodgers need a new draw. Ohtani would be the Dodgers’ DH, and he probably would be the first Dodger to hit fifty home runs in a season.
The Dodgers need starters to go with the young core of their starting rotation. Of course, they can afford Ohtani and excellent starters like Blake Snell and Aaron Nola. Will they sign them?
