Prepare for a busy 24 hours from the Dodgers

mlb

Prepare for a busy 24 hours from the Dodgers

By Blake Harris
4 months ago

The Dodgers are entering a critical offseason and a crucial 24 hours as they try to remake their 40-man roster.

The offseason has already been pretty busy in regards to Dodgers news. Looks like we’ll be getting even more over the course of the next 24 hours.

There will be a lot of movement in regards to the 40-man roster. What exactly is happening over the next two days? I got you covered.

Rule 5 draft decisions

Teams must add prospects who are eligible for the Rule 5 draft to their 40-man rosters by November 15 (Tuesday) to keep them out of the Rule 5 draft pool.

For those who may be unfamiliar with the Rule 5 Draft, here’s a brief explainer:

Held each December, the Rule 5 Draft allows clubs without a full 40-man roster to select certain non-40-man roster players from other clubs. Clubs draft in reverse order of the standings from the previous season. Players signed at age 18 or younger need to be added to their club’s 40-Man roster within five seasons or they become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft. Players who signed at age 19 or older need to be protected within four seasons.

The Dodgers have a number of players who they will need to add. In my opinion, the four “must-adds” are Diego Cartaya, Michael Busch, Andy Pages and Jose Ramos.

Adding 3-4 players will add to the growing 40-man roster.

Qualifying offers

Tuesday is also the deadline for Tyler Anderson to accept or reject his qualifying offer. The Dodgers extended Anderson a one-year, $19.65 million deal for 2023. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Anderson accept it, as nearly $20 million for one season is a massive pay upgrade compared to last season. I also wouldn’t be surprised to see him decline it, as I’m sure he could find a multi-year offer on the market, potentially from the Dodgers.

He has until Tuesday at 1:00 p.m. PT to accept or reject.

Clayton Kershaw’s return

The move still hasn’t been made official yet by the Dodgers. On Thursday, it was reported that Kershaw would be returning to LA for one more season. Once the move is announced, that will be an additional 40-man roster spot.

Cody Bellinger decision

Although the deadline isn’t tomorrow, the Dodgers will need to make a decision with Cody Bellinger this week. LA will need to decide if they will non-tender him a contract by this Friday.

There is a lot of speculation as to what the Dodgers will do to Bellinger. He’s expected to make $18 million next season, a number I just can’t see the Dodgers being willing to pay. If the Dodgers do in fact non-tender him like I expect, there’s a chance we could see Bellinger leave and join another team. There’s also a chance LA brings him back on a much cheaper deal.

I’d like to see Bellinger return, as I do believe the talent is still in there somewhere. But if both sides agree to move on, I’d totally understand it.

Potential trades

In order for the Dodgers to create additional space on their 40-man roster, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a trade or two over the next 24 hours. They have some players currently on the roster who might not fit with the 2023 plan, so they could be shipped off for lower tier prospects to create room.

Whatever happens, it should be an exciting 24 hours!