The Dodgers’ 2024 season is officially over, and now it’s time to start looking ahead to how they’re going to refuel and start again next year. As always, it’s much better to be looking at the future from this perspective rather than trying to pick up the pieces.

Spoiler alert? Payroll constraints will hardly be a consideration as LA plots its next makeover in an attempt to repeat as champions.

While eagle-eyed rival fans will continually point out that money doesn’t buy as much starting pitching depth as it used to (so funny), the fact remains that the Dodgers weathered the losses of Tyler Glasnow, Gavin Stone, Dustin May, and Clayton Kershaw, as well as Yoshinobu Yamamoto for many months.

Sure, Glasnow’s been a longtime injury risk, and the type of risky expenditure that teams like the Dodgers can survive, while many others can’t … but that’s the point. The New York Mets have also thrived in 2024 with a good deal of dead money on their books, being paid out to faraway names like Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander. They’re also still here, because they possess a unique ability to get out from under things that would’ve sunk other franchises.

The Yankees finished second. The Mets went far. Payroll still matters, and the Dodgers will be able to keep themselves atop the mountain next season based on their financial might.

But, still, some things will have to change. Is it the pitching department, encouraging methods that have resulted in unnecessary strain? Is it a mentality shift in targeted spending? Does the front office have to look inward, or will the train chug on towards Roki Sasaki and Juan Soto? In some capacity, change will be coming to the Dodgers, but expect them to attack the offseason with similar fervor to previous years, while attempting to import proven commodities where applicable. After all, they’re no longer saving cash for Shohei Ohtani. They’re building around him. They are not resting on their laurels. These Dodgers, who will likely be departing, will unfortunately bear the brunt of that assessment.

5 Dodgers players who definitely won’t be back for the 2025 season

Daniel Hudson

As the Dodgers celebrated their World Series win on the field at Yankee Stadium, Hudson told reporters that he was going out with a bang and would be retiring with his second ring (he was also on the 2019 Nationals, and got the final out against the Astros in Game 7) instead of going back into free agency.

His career has featured a lot of ups and downs, with some jumping around the league and multiple minor league deals behind him. It was a minor league deal that brought him back to the Dodgers in 2024, but he was added to the major league roster ahead of Opening Day and had a solid final regular season as he became a staple of LA’s bullpen.

Although his last major league appearance ever is probably one he’ll want to forget — he gave up a grand slam to Anthony Volpe in Game 4 — one more championship before retirement is the perfect feather in the cap of a 15-year MLB veteran.

According to Hudson, his pitching arm was on the verge of giving out when Dave Roberts decided to stick with Blake Treinen late in Game 5. “If Doc brought me in,” he noted, “I was going to blow out again.”

Joe Kelly

Dodgers fans have a lot of sentimental fondness for Kelly, but shouldn’t be disappointed to watch him walk. Kelly calling Carlos Correa a baby, making whiny faces at him — you know how it goes. But that’s not enough for the team to keep him, given how he’s pitched this season. His 2021 season was great, but that’s old news by now.

He’s currently dealing with a shoulder injury that left him disinvited from the NLDS, LCS, and World Series but he was vulnerable to being left off the roster regardless, given that he was one of the least dependable pieces of an otherwise solid bullpen during the regular season. The 4 1/3 innings he pitched in September were fine, but August’s 9 1/3 were a different story; he gave up eight earned runs, including four homers, and walked six batters. That’s not the Kelly fans remember, and that’s not the Kelly who they should be mourning if he leaves in the offseason.

There are a couple other bullpen arms who will be hitting free agency — namely Blake Treinen — who the Dodgers should be more inclined to keep, but they’ll be better off buying different contract-less relievers to fill space and letting Kelly go. And don’t trade for him again this time, either.

Kevin Kiermaier

Kiermaier has felt like an interim Dodger ever since he came over from the Blue Jays at the trade deadline. James Outman had been sent down, and Tommy Edman was still on the shelf for a few more weeks. While his addition seemed a little bit charitable and ring chase-y, Kiermaier does have a Platinum Glove to make up for his career-long ineffectiveness at the plate. Even given his 2024 regression (55 OPS+ in Toronto prior to the trade deadline after a 103 mark in 2023), it still seemed like he might bring value to the Dodgers’ depth chart — and who among us, at the time, foresaw Jason Heyward continuing to have such a positive impact in Houston? Luckily, that impact has ended well short of the World Series (phew, that would’ve been hard to take).

Like Kelly, he didn’t make the NLDS roster due to injury, but he was also liable to be left off anyway. He played in four games during the LCS but was left off again for the World Series.

In any case, Kiermaier announced his intention to retire after the 2024 season just a few days before he was traded, so he’s got one foot out the door already, and the Dodgers will probably want to keep Edman primarily at center field during his tenure in LA anyway. Kiermaier probably won’t be remembered for his 34 games with the Dodgers in the second half this year, but he did show a couple of flashes of his old defensive greatness during his short stay.

Kiké Hernández

All of LA loves Kiké Hernández, but he’s another player the Dodgers should sever ties with. The Dodgers’ bench has been a problem the entire season, but Hernández and Chris Taylor as their two go-to utility guys was an especially bleak duo in the regular season. Hernández has been a lot better than Taylor (almost everyone has been better than Taylor), but his .229 average and .654 OPS during the regular season isn’t enough for the Dodgers to sign him for another year.

Although he returned to his usual, uncanny postseason god status in October, the Dodgers might finally have a real shot at Willy Adames in his free agency, and Bo Bichette will be out there as a potential Plan B. Miguel Rojas has been the Dodgers’ primary shortstop since Nick Ahmed was DFA’ed in August, but even if the Dodgers exercise their club option on Rojas for 2025, it’s unlikely that he’ll be an everyday guy again next year. That would fill the bench with him, Taylor, Austin Barnes, and Andy Pages.

Even if the Dodgers dump Rojas, that shouldn’t guarantee Hernández’s spot on the bench. We can look back on the banana suit antics fondly, but still be looking to upgrade for 2025.

Jack Flaherty

Flaherty is the only Dodger here who does have a pretty good shot of returning based on his entire season. Because he split his time between two teams this year, he’s ineligible to receive the qualifying offer, so he’ll go back out to free agency looking for a three- or four-year deal. The Dodgers do have the leg up here — Flaherty performed well enough after the trade deadline, vibes well with the team, and is an LA native who grew up rooting for the Dodgers — but it wouldn’t be surprising if he hears offers from a few other teams before making a decision.

He’s going to have multiple teams on his tail, too. It wouldn’t be altogether surprising if the Tigers approach him again, and Flaherty made it clear on social media that he was still following and rooting for that team during their improbable playoff run. He’s also been identified as a good fit for the Red Sox and Mets, but it’s likely a couple more clubs will also make some calls about him.

Provided everyone is healthy by the start of the next season, the Dodgers rotation also already looks rather complete as it is. Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, Tony Gonsolin, and Clayton Kershaw (probably) are all in the mix. Although they have some flexibility with Gonsolin, who still has minor-league options or could theoretically be turned into a reliever, neither a demotion to the minors nor to the bullpen seems likely.

So this is a toss-up. Flaherty will have a lot of options during his free agency, and the Dodgers need to figure out if they even need another starter at all.