6 Los Angeles Dodgers Who Won't Be Back in 2024
Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Chris Taylor, and Miguel Rojas make up the only salaried Dodgers heading into the 2024 season. The rest need to be signed, either through arbitration or the free agency market.
Some key contributors to the 100-win team will not make their return next year.
Amed Rosario:
The Dodgers traded RHP Noah Syndergaard for Rosario at the deadline to be a lefty specialist. Defensively, he left some to be desired, but his infield flexibility made him valuable down the stretch, particularly as a pinch-hitting option. His exclusion from the NLDS roster tells fans what the organization thinks of Rosario. He fulfilled his role down the stretch hitting .298 against southpaws, but the club can upgrade this offseason.
Shelby Miller:
The team signed Miller early in the 2023 offseason as a reclamation project. The previous few years Miller dealt with injury and inconsistency coming out of the bullpen. He endeared himself to fans this year by being an anchor in the bullpen from the jump. He pitched 42.0 innings to a 1.71 ERA and an astounding 255 ERA+. Despite his production this past year, the club loves buying low-on pitchers and helping them earn a larger contract the next year - think Chris Martin or Tyler Anderson.
Lance Lynn:
While not the White Sox starter the fans hoped the Dodgers would trade for, Lynn proved his value by eating innings. With the rotation hampered by a multitude of injuries, they needed someone who could provide length so as to not tire out every arm on the staff. In his 11 appearances in Dodger blue, Lynn provided at least five innings nine times while getting into the seventh innings three times. Lance Lynn has an $18 million club option for next year, but his poor performance in the playoffs makes it unlikely he will rejoin the team.
David Peralta:
This tweet by the Diamondbacks' social media team sums up how fans felt seeing David Peralta don the Dodger home white this year. After eight seasons with the Diamondbacks, the Dodgers signed the veteran outfielder to be a platoon option against right-handed pitching. He outperformed his one-year, $6.5 million deal providing timely hitting and being a finalist for the Gold Glove Award this year. With the emergence of James Outman as the Dodgers' everyday center fielder and questions surrounding Peralta's future, the club will likely look elsewhere for a corner outfield bat.
J.D. Martinez:
The signing of J.D. Martinez over long-time Dodger and fan favorite Justin Turner last offseason came with mixed feelings among fans. The club lost their de facto leader, but Martinez could provide some more pop from the designated hitter position. To boot, Martinez boasts a career .974 OPS in the postseason. J.D. slugged his way into the hearts of Dodger fans hitting an .893 OPS while knocking 33 home runs, the most since 2019. While no one would complain if he returned next year, there may not be a designated hitter spot open if the club lands their white whale in Shohei Ohtani.
Julio Urias:
Julio Urias' season, and likely Dodger career, ended after he was charged with felony domestic violence. This marks the second time he has faced domestic violence charges, the first being a misdemeanor charge in 2019. Despite being a workhorse in the rotation and providing fans with unforgettable memories, the organization all but washed their hands of the pitcher. It would be an understatement to not expect him back next year, as the club literally painted over murals of him in the stadium.
