The 2022 Dodgers Could Look Very, Very Different Next Season With How Many Monster Free Agents They Have
Was this weekend the last time we could see the core of this Dodgers team together? It looks like it. We know the Dodgers have more money than anyone, they are not shy about spending, but you have to think not all these key free agents will be back. Just look at those faces up there, the fact that they won't be in Dodger blue next year is something. You have some guys who have been here for a cup of coffee like Albert Pujols, Max Scherzer, and Trevor Bauer who has plenty of off the field stuff to worry about. Some key role players like Chris Taylor and Joe Kelly. And then you've got some big fish in Corey Seager, Kenley Jansen, and Clayton Kershaw who have been there a while and we only know as Dodgers. This team could look very different with a few huge names in different uniforms come next season.
You've got to think the Dodgers will be the top choice to keep Max Scherzer. Besides for his dead arm in the NLCS he has stayed remarkably healthy but he is 37. Regardless he is still a bulldog on the mound and you don't trade one of your top prospects for him to let him walk after 3 months. Dodgers have to get involved and try and keep Scherzer.
Corey Seager is going to be a very rich man in a few months. He's still young at 27 but he can't knock that injury bug. Every season he's missing a huge chunk of games because of some fluke injury. He's been a stud since the day he came up and is seen as right around average with the glove. You'd think the Dodgers would want to hold onto him but you've got to think some team is going to give him a huge check, one of the best shortstops on the market and there are a ton of them.
Clayton Kershaw is going to be an interesting one. Future first ballot hall of famer who IS Dodgers baseball. He's obviously on the back 9 and he could make this an easy decision for the Dodgers by retiring. I don't think he will but who knows. Is he going to take some sort of discount and stay in LA and be a one team guy for his career? Do they offer him something he would take? The injuries make it hard to picture him having any sort of impact on the club next year, and I can't see him being one of the old man in the bullpen guys. Does Texas offer him a one year deal and he plays for his hometown team and then ride into the sunset? This is going to be something to keep an eye on because Kershaw is going to look SO weird if he's in another uniform.
This sure sounds like a guy who knows he won't be back in Los Aneles next season if you ask me. He was nails in the postseason, 14 Ks in 7 IP and only 3 hits. Showed he still has a lot of gas left in the tank after he has been questioned before about that. You'd assume the Dodgers would love to have him, but whatever he is going to get is going to be huge. Someone is gonna pay this man a lot of money, and deservingly so. It just may not be the Dodgers willing to shell it out for the 34 year-old closer.
That is a hell of a 4 guys to possibly lose in the offseason, and that's not even talking about a great utility guy like Chris Taylor. He can do it all, plays all around and we saw his heroics in the playoffs. A guy the Dodgers would love to have but another team may pay him more to come do it there with a younger team with him as the veteran. Trevor Bauer isn't a candidate to go anywhere right now. I'm sure Joe Kelly will get a comfortable contract somewhere, maybe even LA and continue being a damn good reliever in his spot. He knows where his bread is buttered. And for Albert this may be it. I don't think he'll be back in Dodger blue but we may see him back in St. Louis for one more go round.
Regardless, whatever number of guys the Dodgers lose it's going to be a big chunk out of the team. They can't bring all these guys back, can they? Not even all of them, but some of the top guys? It's going to be a very interesting offseason for the Dodgers as they have to evaluate what they hell they're going to do with these names. Having that much money is a good problem though, we'll see how they attack their monster free agent class.