Dodgers Offseason: Who’s Out, Who’s In, and Who’s Coming? Recapping the Winter So Far

It’s Christmas Day, and you might be getting together with family today. You might see your aunt, the one who doesn’t follow baseball but knows you’re crazy about the Dodgers so she tries to make conversation. Or maybe you’ll run into your brother-in-law who went to three Braves games when he was in law school in Atlanta and he thinks that makes him an expert.

Whatever the reasons, you might be asked, “What have the Dodgers been up to this offseason?” And we’re here to give you all the answers you might need.

Who’s Out?

There will be a new look to the 2023 Dodgers, as several players from the 2022 team will be playing elsewhere next year.

Trea Turner signed an 11-year deal with the Phillies during the Winter Meetings, taking him back to the east coast where he and his wife preferred to be. Turner was a Dodger for just 15 months, but he gave us plenty of memories and we hold no ill will.

Justin Turner, heartbreakingly, signed a two-year deal with the Red Sox after waiting and waiting for Los Angeles to figure out their budget and make him an offer. JT has an opt-out after the first season, and Boston expects him to mostly play DH and first base.

Cody Bellinger was non-tendered by L.A. in November, meaning they didn’t want to pay him the $18-19 million he was likely to make in salary arbitration. While the originally hoped to bring him back on a smaller one-year deal, the free-agent market went crazy and priced him out of what they were looking to pay, and he ended up with the Cubs.

Craig Kimbrel signed with the Phillies on Friday, but there was never even a whisper of the Dodgers having any interest in bringing him back. His year in Dodger blue will be quickly forgotten.

Tyler Anderson rejected his qualifying offer from L.A. and signed with the Santa Ana Angels of Northern Irvine in November. He got a three-year, $39 million deal, but looking at how the market played out, he might have made more if he’d waited.

Andrew Heaney signed a two-year, $25 million contract with the Rangers, parlaying a strong season in L.A. into a big payday.

Chris Martin and Tommy Kahnle each signed two-year deals with AL East teams, Martin with Boston and Kahnle with the Yankees.

David Price isn’t retired, but he’s basically retired.

Joey Gallo signed with the Twins, and the Dodgers declined their option on his best friend, Hanser Alberto, who remains a free agent.

Edwin Rios was non-tendered the same day as Bellinger, and he also remains a free agent at this moment.

Who’s In?

Clayton Kerhsaw went to free agency, but he signed a one-year contract to come back to Los Angeles. He confirmed that, going forward, the Dodgers and Rangers are the only teams he’ll consider playing for.

Noah Syndergaard signed a one-year deal with L.A., hoping to follow in the footsteps of Anderson and Heaney and take strides to get his career back on track. He’s been working at Driveline and other facilities to try to get his trademark fastball back.

Shelby Miller also signed a one-year deal. Miller is even further removed from his glory days than Syndergaard is, but as a reliever, L.A. is hopeful they can harness his skills and turn him into an effective weapon out of the bullpen.

JP Feyereisen came over in a trade with the Rays, and while he’ll miss most or all of next season, he’s had a lot of success at the big-league level and is under team control for three more years after 2023.

Yonny Hernandez is a name you probably didn’t know before the Dodgers purchased him from the A’s, and you’ll probably do just fine if you forget about him, as he’s unlikely to impact the big-league team.

Jason Heyward, Bradley Zimmer, and Steven Duggar can all play center field and all signed minor-league contracts with Los Angeles. Heyward is the only one of the three who’s ever had any sustained success in the big leagues, but he’s also the oldest. All three are left-handed, so they’re basically playing for the same role.

Adam Kolarek came back to the Dodgers on a minor-league deal. He was bad both before and after his time in L.A., but he was excellent for the Dodgers in 2019-20.

Patrick Mazeika signed a minor-league deal with L.A. because someone has to be the backup catcher in Triple-A, ya know?

Bryan Hudson, Jake Pilarski, James Jones, and Lucas Willliams are all names you could throw out to show off your expertise, as long as you’re confident there will be no follow-up questions.

Who’s Coming?

The short answer to this question is, maybe no one. Los Angeles was nominally in on Aaron Judge, Xander Bogaerts, Justin Verlander, Jacob deGrom, and Carlos Rodon, but all of them signed elsewhere.

Bryan Reynolds is a player they’re targeting in a potential trade, although the asking price by the Pirates might be too high. Reynolds would fill the hole in center field caused by the Bellinger’s departure.

The Brewers have said they’re not trading Willy Adames, Corbin Burnes, or Brandon Woodruff, but they also haven’t done much to indicate they’re serious about contending in 2023, so that door could open back up.

Jean Segura is a name that’s been floated around (mostly by me, admittedly) as someone who might be a good fit for the Dodgers. He can play all over the infield, like if Hanser Alberto had known how to hit.

There you have it, in less than 1,000 words — all you need to know to impress you friends and family this Christmas!

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