The 40-man is kinda crowded

The Dodgers are going to have to make some moves

Even though the World Series was less than a week ago, it’s never too early to get into offseason mode! For the sickos like me who love diving into the 40-man roster, this is the article for you.

It’s going to be a pretty crazy offseason, especially when you consider the state of the Dodgers’ 40-man roster.

As of today, the 40-man roster sits at 38. The Dodgers have two available spots. They’re going to need a whole lot more than that.

A reminder, players that spent the 2024 campaign on the 60-day IL will count towards the 40-man roster this offseason. They won’t be eligible to be transferred to the 60-day IL until spring training begins in February. This includes players like Gavin Stone, River Ryan, Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May, just to name a few.

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We’ll start with the Rule 5 draft, where the Dodgers are going to need to protect a number of highly-touted prospects. You can all but guarantee that Dalton Rushing and Alex Freeland will be protected and added to the 40-man. That right there would give them a full 40.

Not to mention, the Dodgers also have a few names they could opt to protect as well (Peter Heubeck, Maddux Bruns, exc…)

The Dodgers will need to make sure they have room for those prospects to be added.

Once you get over that obstacle of having enough space for the prospects, you have free agency. The Dodgers are likely going to be aggressive in free agency, meaning they’ll need to have plenty of spots available.

As of right now, the Dodgers have a plethora of pitching compared to hitting. They have 24 pitchers and 14 batters on the roster. That’s likely going to change.

Pitchers who could get released

• Connor Brogdon

• Brent Honeywell

• Zach Logue

You probably didn’t even know that two of those names were currently on the 40-man. I could see the Dodgers wanting to keep Brent Honeywell, but with guys like Gonsolin and May returning in 2025, you likely won’t need someone like Honeywell who could eat innings.

Maybe the three pitchers can clear waivers and end up with Oklahoma City in Triple-A, but it won’t be a total loss seeing those three players leave the organization. I’d be bummed to see Honeywell leave, but I get that this is a business and you need to make moves like this.

Hitters who could get traded

• Diego Cartaya

• Gavin Lux

• James Outman

• Chris Taylor

This is where I think things could get very interesting. Despite having only 14 hitters on the 40-man, I could see the Dodgers getting very aggressive. There are a number of free agents the Dodgers could turn to this offseason (Teo, Soto, Adames, Kiké). If they bring in a few of those guys, named will have to be sent away.

With Dalton Rushing all but surely to be added to the 40-man, it would make zero sense to carry five catchers on the roster. Although I think Rushing will see time in the outfield, the Dodgers have their catching depth locked up. Will Smith and Austin Barnes will be on the active roster, with Hunter Feduccia a more than serviceable third option in the minors.

Although Diego Cartaya isn’t the Top 100 prospect he once was, he’s still a 23-year-old catcher with a lot of upside. I’m sure there are more than a couple of teams who would be willing to take a chance on him.

I doubt the Dodgers trade Gavin Lux, but it would make more sense than you may think. If the team truly wants to put Mookie Betts back at second base, there wouldn’t be a spot for Lux unless he became a bench bat. We saw Lux turn things around in the second half, so there could be teams out there willing to buy into the hype that he’s an All-Star caliber second baseman.

This is only if the Dodgers opt to put Mookie back at second base. If they are content keeping him in right field, Lux should still be the every day second baseman, at least against righties. It’s tough to see Betts staying in right field, though. Tommy Edman is likely going to get reps in center field. Andy Pages is ready to be an every day starter. Plus, you potentially will be bringing Teoscar Hernandez back, or who knows… signing Juan Soto. Not to mention, Dalton Rushing is likely going to get a chance in the outfield at some point in 2025.

It just doesn’t seem like there’s a role for Lux moving forward, so it would make sense to ship him off and maybe bring back some prospects.

Another player that could be dealt is James Outman. I just gave a rundown of how deep the Dodgers’ outfield could potentially be. With Betts, Edman, Pages, Rushing and potentially Teoscar Hernandez, Outman is very low in the pecking order. 2024 was a rough season for Outman, but he proved in 2023 that he can hit and field at the big league level.

Considering Outman is under contract through 2029, a team could be willing to bet on him bouncing back and being an MLB-caliber center fielder.

The final player on the list is Chris Taylor. I don’t think any team would trade for Taylor unless the Dodgers attach a prospect or two. He’s owed $15 million this season, which is brutal considering his recent production. Despite his contract, I just don’t see a spot for Taylor on the active roster. He survived this season on the 40-man because of injuries, but it’s tough to see a spot for him in 2025.

If the Dodgers are unable to find a trade partner for Taylor, I could seem them just having to eat the contract and DFA Taylor to clear a spot on the roster.

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As you can see, the Dodgers will have to make some difficult decisions this offseason. There’s also a player or two who could be moved that I wasn’t even anticipating being on this list.

Now we just sit back and watch what the Dodgers do!