The Los Angeles Dodgers entered the offseason much sooner than anticipated after being eliminated by the San Diego Padres in the National League Division Series, and now face several important decisions in the weeks ahead.
The Dodgers will see 10 players become free agents at the end of the World Series, and they also must decide whether to exercise or decline the club options of four players for the 2023 season.
L.A.’s list of free agents could expand if they choose not to tender contracts to any of the 12 players eligible for salary arbitration. The deadline to do so is Friday, December 2, at 5 p.m. PT.
As for players already under contract, the Dodgers have 14 with less than three years of service time who will return for the 2023 season. However, their salaries will be determined at a later date.
In terms of players under contract with a set salary, the Dodgers only have seven: Austin Barnes, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Daniel Hudson, Max Muncy, Chris Taylor and Blake Treinen.
Trevor Bauer technically is under contract next season as well, but he is due to miss another year after getting suspended for 324 games through MLB’s joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy.
Dodgers players under contract for 2023 season
Freddie Freeman
Of the Dodgers under contract for next season, Freeman will earn the most with a $27 million salary. The six-time All-Star is entering the second of a six-year contract after a stellar first season with the Dodgers that saw him lead MLB with 199 hits and 47 doubles.
Mookie Betts
Betts is right behind Freeman with a $25 million salary for 2023, which will be his fourth with the Dodgers since being acquired in a trade with the Boston Red Sox.
The 2018 American League MVP is coming off an excellent season himself in which he led the NL with 117 runs scored and finished first among his teammates with 6.4 WAR.
Chris Taylor
Taylor will earn $15 million next season as part of a four-year, $60 million contract extension he signed after the 2021 campaign.
The 32-year-old struggled mightily with the Dodgers this year, posting his lowest numbers in several categories since being acquired by the Seattle Mariners in 2016.
Max Muncy
Muncy, who originally was scheduled to become a free agent at the end of the 2022 season, will be with the Dodgers for at least one year after signing a one-year, $13.5 million contract extension this past August. The Dodgers hold a team option on Muncy for 2024.
Muncy hit just .196 this season but had 44 extra-base hits, including 21 home runs, and accumulated 2.7 WAR for his contributions on the diamond.
Blake Treinen
Like Muncy, Treinen was slated to become a free agent after the 2022 season. However, he signed a one-year contract extension with the team this past May that is worth a reported $8 million.
Treinen appeared in only six games between the regular season and postseason this year due to shoulder trouble, allowing two runs with seven strikeouts against three walks.
Daniel Hudson
The Dodgers additionally signed Hudson to a one-year contract extension during the 2022 campaign that comes with a $6.5 million salary for next season.
Hudson emerged as a key contributor in the Dodgers bullpen before sustaining a torn ACL in his left knee and undergoing season-ending surgery. The estimated timetable for the right-hander’s recovery was six to nine months.
Austin Barnes
Barnes, who is under contract through the 2024 season, will earn $3.5 million next year. He once again served as the Dodgers’ backup catcher this season, posting a .704 on-base plus slugging with six doubles, eight home runs and 26 RBI in 62 games.
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