Dodgers Dugout: A look at the roster heading into the offseason

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell, and it’s funny to hear the Astros and fans complain about tipping pitches. I thought it really didn’t matter if a batter knows what pitches are coming. At least, that’s what they’ve been saying since 2017.

As the official start of the offseason nears, it seems like a good time to review the Dodgers roster to see who is signed, who isn’t signed, who is eligible for arbitration and who is under full team control.

We’ll start with who is already signed for the 2023 season.

Freddie Freeman
2023 salary: $27 million
Signed through: 2027

Mookie Betts
2023 salary: $25 million
Signed through 2032

Chris Taylor
2023 salary: $15 million
Signed through: 2025

Max Muncy
2023 salary: $13.5 million
Signed through: 2023

Blake Treinen
2023 salary: $8 million
Signed through: 2023

Daniel Hudson
2023 salary: $6.5 million
Signed through: 2023

Austin Barnes
2023 salary: $3.5 million
Signed through: 2024

Note: Trevor Bauer was scheduled to receive $32 million next season, but he is under suspension and will receive no salary. He has appealed the suspension and is still awaiting the result of the appeal.

Team options

The Dodgers have a contract option for the following four players. They have until five days until after the World Series ends to exercise the option. If they don’t, the player becomes a free agent, but could still re-sign with the Dodgers.

Justin Turner
2023 option salary: $16 million
Buyout: $2 million

Danny Duffy
2023 option salary: $7 million
No buyout

Hanser Alberto
2023 option salary: $2 million
Buyout: $250,000

Jimmy Nelson
2023 option salary: $1.1 million
No buyout

The Dodgers could, for example, not exercise the option on Turner and bring him back at a lower price.

Arbitration eligible

According to MLB.com: “Players who have three or more years of Major League service but less than six years of Major League service become eligible for salary arbitration if they do not already have a contract for the next season. Players who have less than three but more than two years of service time can also become arbitration eligible if they meet certain criteria; these are known as “Super Two” players. Players and clubs negotiate over salaries, primarily based on comparable players who have signed contracts in recent seasons. A player’s salary can indeed be reduced in arbitration — with 20 percent being the maximum amount by which a salary can be cut.

“If the club and player have not agreed on a salary by a deadline (typically in mid-January), the club and player must exchange salary figures for the upcoming season. After the figures are exchanged, a hearing is scheduled (typically in February). If no one-year or multi-year settlement can be reached by the hearing date, the case is brought before a panel of arbitrators. After hearing arguments from both sides, the panel selects either the salary figure of either the player or the club (but not one in between) as the player’s salary for the upcoming season.”

“When a club ‘non-tenders’ a player, it declines to give that player a contract for the upcoming season, thereby immediately making him a free agent.”

In other words, the Dodgers could just not offer a contract to any of the players below, making them free agents. It will be interesting to see what they decide to do with Cody Bellinger, who is predicted to receive an $18-million salary next season through arbitration.

Below are the players on the team eligible for arbitration, with the predicted salary they would receive in the process. All predictions are courtesy of mlbtraderumors.com, which has been very accurate in the past.

Cody Bellinger
$18.1 million

Julio Urías
$13.7 million

Walker Buehler
$8.1 million

Will Smith
$5.2 million

Tony Gonsolin
$3.5 million

Trayce Thompson
$1.7 million

Dustin May
$1.4 million

Evan Phillips
$1.4 million

Edwin Ríos
$1.4 million

Brusdar Graterol
$1.2 million

Caleb Ferguson
$1.1 million

Yency Almonte
$1 million

Under full team control

These players have played fewer than three seasons and aren’t eligible for arbitration. They could have their contracts renewed unilaterally by the Dodgers for at least the major league minimum ($720,000 in 2023).

Jacob Amaya
Phil Bickford
Justin Bruihl
Victor González
Michael Grove
Andre Jackson
Gavin Lux
James Outman
Ryan Pepiot
Miguel Vargas
Alex Vesia

Free agents

These players can sign with anyone, including the Dodgers:

Tyler Anderson
Joey Gallo
Andrew Heaney
Tommy Kahnle
Clayton Kershaw
Craig Kimbrel
Chris Martin
Kevin Pillar
David Price
Trea Turner

It would be a big surprise to see Gallo, Kimbrel or Price back. The big names on the list are Anderson, Kershaw and Turner.

What do you think?

The big four question marks for the Dodgers are:

Do they exercise the option on Justin Turner?

Do they offer Cody Bellinger a contract or not?

Do they re-sign Clayton Kershaw? (Really though, it seems to be up to Kershaw if he returns or not, but I want to know what you think.)

Do they re-sign Trea Turner at a high cost?

I have set up four polls for you to answer. Click on the question to vote in the poll:

Would you exercise the $18-million option for Justin Turner?

Would you offer Cody Bellinger a contract or not?

Do you offer Clayton Kershaw a contract at a price similar to this season ($17 million)?

Do you re-sign Trea Turner to a multiyear deal for $25 million to $30 million a season?

Would you rather the Dodgers sign Trea Turner or Aaron Judge?

What Vin Scully meant to you

Gary Phebus of Menifee: Early in the 1966 season, as an 11-year-old boy, I had been told by my parents to go to bed because I had school in the morning. However, I wasn’t ready for bed and instead laid there with my transistor radio on my pillow, propped up against my left ear. With my right hand, I was slowly spinning the dial to find my favorite music station, being careful to keep the volume down so my parents wouldn’t hear it. All of a sudden, I heard what seemed to be crowd noise, it wasn’t loud cheering, just the noise of a crowd. I hesitated long enough to hear a voice that mesmerized me to want to hear more. That was the first time I ever heard Vin Scully. Seconds later, I heard Vinny call a two-run home run by Richie Allen of the Phillies. It was life-changing and for the next 51 summers, Vin Scully became my surrogate father until his retirement after the 2016 season. You will certainly be missed by this now 68-year-old man, who whenever I heard your voice, I became an 11-year-old boy again. Thanks for everything Vin.

Jonathan M. Chapman: Last season, I took my 7-year-old son to his first Dodgers game in L.A. (We live in San Diego and have seen them plenty at Petco). At one point the score was 2-2, with two out, the count was 2-2 and I said “And the deuces are wild!” My son looked at me curiously and asked me what that meant. I explained what it was to him and that it was a saying I always loved to hear Vin call out. I then had to explain who Vin was and why he was so special to Dodgers fans.

We were watching a Dodgers game when they were having tributes to Vin, and my son asked, “Is that the deuces are wild guy?” I then had to explain that he passed away, but not to be sad because Vin had lived a full life and left a mark on sports fans across the U.S., so he’ll always be remembered. I asked if he wanted me to change the channel, and he said he wanted to watch more videos about Vin.

I know this isn’t exactly what you’re looking for in terms of memories of Vin. As a 36-year-old I have a lot that are more personal to me, but this recent one is what came to mind. Vin retired when my son was 1, but even he now knows who Vin is and why he was so special to sports fans, especially Dodgers fans.

Up next

The second year of our “Dodgers Dugout Dodgers Hall of Fame” balloting will be in the next newsletter, sometime next week.

Stories you might have missed

Dodgers’ Mookie Betts wins sixth career Gold Glove Award in right field

Justin Turner wins Roberto Clemente Award, awaits word on Dodgers future

Baseball union chief Tony Clark likes what he sees from new playoff format

Roz Wyman, city’s youngest council member who helped bring Dodgers to L.A., dies at 92

Shaikin: It’s your first World Series, Joe Davis. Be ready for the haters on social media

Inside the Dodgers’ collapse: Why baseball’s winningest team isn’t in the World Series

And finally

Remembering Maury Wills. Watch and listen here.