3 Dodgers free agents pricing their way out of Los Angeles this postseason

The Los Angeles Dodgers have committed a ton of money to the stars of their team. Last offseason, they allotted $700 million to Shohei Ohtani and well over $300 million to Yoshinobu Yamamoto. They've committed over $30 million a year to both Mookie Betts and Tyler Glasnow while paying other top stars a decent chunk of change as well.

This is the biggest reason that the Dodgers have made it as far as they have this season. Their payroll is incredible and the revenue that they bring in is equally as incredible. But when you're paying the stars of the team so much money, sometimes the role players can be forgotten and overlooked.

For the Dodgers, there are multiple upcoming free agents that have played well above their pay grade this year. With these players entering free agency in the coming months, they could be pricing themselves out of Los Angeles.

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3. UTL Kike Hernandez

The Dodgers have utility man Kike Hernandez under contract for the 2024 season for just $4 million. He's played well above that pay grade in the postseason this year alone. During the regular season, Hernandez wasn't great offensively, but his defensive versatility and excellence still managed to keep his WAR over 1.0. Still, the utility man slashed .229/.281/.373 with an OPS+ of 85 during the regular season.

His production in the postseason has been far from below average though.

While offering the same defensive versatility and excellence, Hernandez's bat has come alive as well. In 11 postseason games, Hernandez is slashing .282/.349/.487 with two home runs, five RBIs and a triple.

His defensive abilities alone are worth well over $4 million. Pair that with his excellent postseason play and you have a player that's set to get quite the raise this winter.

The Dodgers will be looking to bring in a franchise shortstop this offseason. Pairing that with Hernandez's price tag growing by the day, it seems as though he's priced himself out of Los Angeles. This will be especially true if the Dodgers are aggressive in trying to sign shortstop Willy Adames from the Milwaukee Brewers.

2. RHP Blake Treinen

If you had to name a breakout player in the Los Angeles Dodgers bullpen, it would be the right-handed pitcher, Blake Treinen, who's looked almost untouchable at times. Treinen wasn't the club's closer for the regular season, but he's stepped up in that role during the postseason and it's been excellent. Certainly, he's played well above the $1 million attached on his contract.

During the regular season, Treinen tossed 46.2 innings with a sub-2.00 ERA and a sub-1.00 WHIP. His production was lights out for the entire season as one of the Dodgers' high leverage relievers. But when the postseason came around, Treinen hasn't folded under the pressure. Instead, he's rose to the occasion and taken over as the closer. In eight postseason outings, Treinen has been scoreless in five of them without allowing more than one earned run in a single appearance. He's been tasked with tossing more than just three outs and he's been excellent.

Based off his play this year, Treinen is set to land quite the pay day this offseason. Based on the way the Dodgers have paid their stars and traded for bullpen arms, it's hard to imagine that Los Angeles is going to be willing to give Treinen the closer money that he will get from another team. His production this year may be effectively pricing him out of Los Angeles this winter.

1. RHP Jack Flaherty

The most obvious player on this list will be the rental starting pitcher that the Dodgers acquired at the trade deadline, Jack Flaherty. Flaherty is attached to a one-year deal that he signed with the Detroit Tigers this past offseason worth $14 million. Flaherty has played so well this season that he will be looking for a three- or four-year deal worth well over $17 million AAV.

On the season, Flaherty tossed 162 innings with a 3.17 ERA, 3.48 FIP and 1.07 WHIP. He struck out well over a batter an inning while walking just 2.1 batters per nine innings. While the Dodgers rotation has been injured and depleted all season, Flaherty has stepped up for Dave Roberts and company. This isn't more true than in the postseason, where Flaherty outdueled Gerrit Cole and the Yankees in Game 1 of World Series.

During the postseason, he has seen mixed results. Across two of his starts, he's given up 12 earned runs. But he also has the 5.1 innings of two earned run baseball in the World Series. Aside from the disastrous start against the Mets, Flaherty has been excellent. It's going to be tough for the Dodgers to sign him back. Given how many pitchers they're set to bring back in 2025, I'd bet the Dodgers might be okay with losing Flaherty in free agency.