3 Dodgers who won’t be back after Blake Snell signing

It didn’t take the Los Angeles Dodgers long to make a big splash after winning its first World Series since 2020 roughly a month ago. The Dodgers locked down a massive free agent pitcher in Blake Snell, inking him to a 5-year, $182 million contract.

With the move, the Dodgers made it clear they needed to anchor down another strong starting pitcher. And while that will knock them out of the Juan Soto sweepstakes, it also means there’s some players on the chopping block in southern California. 

Here’s who won’t be back in Los Angeles after the Dodgers’ massive signing. 

Walker Buehler, Starting pitcher

It looks like the Dodgers chose Snell over Walker Buehler. Buehler didn’t have a strong 2024 season. He posted a 1-6 record 16 starts this past season with a 5.38 ERA and 1.55 WHIP. Despite a strong showing in the postseason and World Series, the Dodgers were ready to move on.

Buehler spent a fair amount of 2024 on the injury list and after a return from a hip injury, he did enough to help the Dodgers win a championship. Only time will tell if this was a reasonable upgrade. 

Snell has had his injury issues as well in his career. Nonetheless, he had a solid 2024 season, finishing with a 5-3 record, 3.12 ERA and 145 strikeouts. 

Jack Flaherty, Starting pitcher

The Dodgers added Jack Flaherty before the trade deadline from the Detroit Tigers to beef up their rotation with Shohei Ohtani not throwing due to injury and Clayton Kershaw battling some injuries this season. 

It was probably going to be a long shot for the Dodgers to pay Flaherty this year as they were probably looking for a more veteran arm, whether that was bringing Buehler back or looking at Max Fried or Corbin Burnes. 

With them landing on Blake Snell, this seems all but certain Flaherty is out the door. Oh the irony if he ended up with the New York Yankees. Flaherty was a great addition, with a 6-2 record and 3.17 ERA. He was also just shy of 200 strikeouts this season. 

Flaherty is certain to get paid this winter, it just won’t be from the Dodgers. I’m not sure they ever were leaning toward Flaherty, especially with the names that were out there. He seems more like a backup plan for the Dodgers than a primary focus. 

Teoscar Hernandez, outfielder

Teoscar Hernandez was another player the Dodgers were likely to let walk this winter. While they did extend a qualifying offer to Hernandez, worth slightly over $21 million, he’s likely to test his full value. He had one of the best seasons in his career in 2024.

He slashed .272/.339/.501 with 33 home runs and 99 RBIs. He was a slugger in the postseason as well, getting 15 hits with three home runs and 12 RBIs. With Snell’s latest contract, the Dodgers have to be selective in who they’re bringing back. 

With Clayton Kershaw intending on coming back to Los Angeles, they beef up their pitching staff. Hernandez would be a great addition to return but it just doesn’t seem likely they match any offer with an AAV over the qualifying offer.