Friday was non-tender day, and ahead of the 5 PM PST deadline, the Dodgers started by offering new contracts to Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May, which both accepted to avoid arbitration. They had six other arbitration-eligible players to settle up with or non-tender, but they made a pit stop on the way, declining to offer new contracts to two players to bring the 40-man roster number down to 36.
Brent Honeywell Jr., who turned himself into a postseason god for his performance in Game 5 of the NLCS against the Mets, was let go unceremoniously. That isn’t to say that Honeywell was good, because he wasn’t; the Dodgers left him out for 4 2/3 innings to eat innings after a bad start for Jack Flaherty, and he gave up four earned runs and hit three batters. He was also blew up in Game 4 of the World Series, when he gave up five runs in one inning.
But Honeywell made the phrase “Save the dogs” a rallying call for the Dodgers’ pitching staff after the LCS, and it revealed a refreshing kind of self-awareness and selflessness. Honeywell knew he wasn’t one of the best guys in the bullpen, and he was willing to bear the brunt of some ugly losses after fighting back from horrific injuries to reclaim an MLB role after losing his top prospect status.
However, sentiment can only get a guy so far. On Friday, the Dodgers non-tendered Honeywell along with reliever Zach Logue.
The Dodgers are non-tendering pitchers Brent Honeywell Jr. and Zach Logue, per source
— Jack Harris (@ByJackHarris) November 23, 2024
Dodgers non-tender Brent Honeywell Jr., Zach Logue ahead of deadline
Fans would be forgiven if they’ve forgotten Zach Logue was still on the 40-man roster at all. Logue was signed to a minor-league deal back in September, when he elected free agency from the Braves organization.
He pitched two innings for the Dodgers in the majors, but he was pulled from his team debut on Sept. 18 after giving up three runs without inducing a single out.
The Dodgers gave him another shot the next day, and he went two innings and gave up a homer. With that in mind, it’s no surprise that he got the cut.
The Dodgers now have 36 men on the roster, which leaves a good amount of space for any potential free agent to be added without needing to make more tough decisions.
Honeywell should be proud of what he was able to do with the Dodgers in the back half of this year, and hopefully it’ll make his transition into free agency a little more welcoming.
