The MLB offseason officially cranked into high gear this week, and for the Dodgers, that means eight of their players are staring down a hefty one-year, $23.15 million qualifying offer they need to decide on by November 17. This isn’t just a friendly chat, folks; this is real money and real roster implications for a team that saw nine players hit free agency last week alone.
Who’s Out and Who’s Weighing Their Options?
The Milwaukee Brewers wrapped up the World Series last Wednesday, and by Thursday, free agency was open for business. The Dodgers immediately had nine players on the market, with Tarik Skubal and four of their longest-tenured relievers leading the pack. By Monday, all the major league contract options were sorted, swelling the free agent pool across the league to a massive 183 players all looking for new homes.
Skubal, because he switched teams midseason, wasn’t eligible for a qualifying offer, but eight other guys on the roster did get that big $23.15 million call. They’ve got until November 17 to either accept that one-year deal or decline it and continue exploring the open market. That’s a huge decision for those players, and it sets the stage for what kind of roster moves we’re gonna see in the coming weeks.
Roster Crunch and What’s Next
Monday was also the day teams had to remove players from the 60-day injured list, which means those guys suddenly count against the 40-man roster again. For the Dodgers, that put Ben Casparius, Jake Cousins, Will Klein, and Gavin Stone back on the active roster count, bringing their 40-man total to 37 players. Across the league, this kind of maneuvering led to 17 different players being claimed off waivers, but get this, the Dodgers weren’t involved in any of those moves, either claiming someone or losing a player. Plus, 30 other players were sent outright to the minors and off their team’s 40-man rosters, and again, the Dodgers didn’t outright anyone yet this offseason.
So, while things are definitely moving, we haven’t seen the big roster crunch decisions from the Dodgers yet. But mark your calendars, because the next massive date on the offseason calendar is November 17. That’s when teams will add prospects to their 40-man rosters to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft, although there’s talk that the draft itself might not even happen this year due to the lockout. Then, just three days later, November 20 is the tender deadline. Remember last year, Evan Phillips, who was recovering from Tommy John surgery, and Nick Frasso were non-tendered in November, only to re-sign with the team later? Could we see something similar again for players on the roster bubble?
This offseason is just getting started, and with a bunch of key dates looming and players weighing million-dollar decisions, it’s gonna be wild to see how this Dodgers roster shapes up!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by True Blue LA.
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