The Los Angeles Dodgers have spent big money to bring in Blake Snell, and that decision may prevent them from bringing back a few other players.
The Dodgers have free agents this offseason in Walker Buehler, Jack Flaherty, Teoscar Hernandez, Clayton Kershaw and more.
The Dodgers are expected to have a 6-man rotation next season. Shohei Ohtani would be a part of it, but probably would not be available to pitch at the start of the season. They also have Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May and some other options, as well as Snell now.
Given the pitchers the team already has under contract, it seems like bringing back Flaherty and Buehler might not be feasible. Flaherty made $14 million last season and performed well in the postseason for the Dodgers, but will likely be gone.
Buehler went 1-6 with a 5.38 ERA last season as he returned from Tommy John surery. The 30-year-old is a two-time All-Star and proved to be the Dodgers’ best pitcher in 2021. He has drawn interest from the New York Yankees this offseason.
Whether the Dodgers will be able to re-sign Teoscar Hernandez is another question. He made $23.5 million on a 1-year deal and hit .272 with an .840 OPS. He also slugged three home runs during the postseason.
Adding Snell is nice for the Dodgers, but will also mean that some of their other players won’t be back in 2025.
