News Dodgers Team Notes

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Dodgers notes: Teoscar Hernández, Kyle Tucker, Tarik Skubal

With the winter meetings now behind us, the Dodgers came out of Orlando with a new closer in Edwin Díaz, though that move hasn’t yet been made official. The bullpen suddenly looks so much stronger with him in it.

In pieces from Katie Woo and Ken Rosenthal at The Athletic and Jack Harris at the Los Angeles Times, the Dodgers have reported interest in both Kyle Tucker and old friend Cody Bellinger, though likely on shorter deals if possible. And both pieces note that if the Tigers do trade ace Tarik Skubal, the Dodgers would at least be able to pounce. Nothing there seems imminent there.

Woo and Rosenthal note that a potential Teoscar Hernández trade is at least possible:

The Dodgers continue to “kick the tires” on trading Teoscar Hernández, a league source said, though general manager Brandon Gomes said Monday that trading the right fielder “doesn’t feel likely.” Still, the Dodgers might feel inclined to deal Hernández, whose defense declined last year, to free up roster space. The Kansas City Royals have coveted an offense-first outfielder, and have interest in Hernández, a league source said.

As for Hernández, don’t look for him in the World Baseball Classic in March.

In an interview with @Moisesdeportes1 Teoscar Hernandez said he has told Albert Pujols he will not play in #WBC for Dominican Republic this year so he can give his body the necessary off season recovery he hasn’t had since before 2024 season. #Dodgers

— David Vassegh (@THEREAL_DV) December 11, 2025

Harris also mentioned other Dodgers areas of interest:

The Dodgers could alternatively get aggressive on the trade market. Brandon Donovan and Lars Nootbaar of the St. Louis Cardinals are seen internally as fits. Steven Kwan of the Cleveland Guardians would be an even bigger-name addition, albeit is less likely to be dealt this winter.

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Joe Buck was named the Ford C. Frick Award winner for broadcasting excellence on Wednesday by the National Baseball Hall of Fame, and will be inducted in Cooperstown during the July 24-27, 2026 weekend. Joe Reedy at Associated Press pointed out that the 56-year-old Buck is the second-youngest announcer to join the Hall of Fame, two years older than Vin Scully in 1982. Rene Cardenas, who called Dodgers games in Spanish from 1958-61 and 1982-98, was one of the 10 names on the Frick Award ballot this year.

Starz is developing a television drama about the Ippei Mizuhara scandal. The official description of the project about Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter is, well, one interpretation someone might choose. From Rick Porter at The Hollywood Reporter:

The logline for the Mizuhara drama says the potential series will tell “the inside story of Shohei Ohtani’s translator Ippei Mizuhara, who journeys from unemployed drifter to international icon only to find himself tangled in a gambling scandal that rocked the sports world.” Mizuhara pleaded guilty to charges of bank fraud and tax evasion in June 2024 and was sentenced to nearly five years in prison. Ohtani was not implicated in the gambling allegations.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-links/108337/dodgers-teoscar-hernandez-kyle-tucker-tarik-skubal

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Dodgers claim center fielder Michael Siani off waivers from Braves

The Dodgers on Friday claimed outfielder Michael Siani off waivers from the Atlanta Braves, adding a true center fielder to the 40-man roster mix.

Siani has played parts of four seasons in the majors with the Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals, hitting .221/.277/.270 with a 58 wRC+, two home runs, and 21 stolen bases in 383 plate appearances. The bulk of his time in the field has come in center field, with 470 of his 533 minor league starts in center and 108 of his 110 major league starts at the position. He’s totaled 12 Outs Above Average and six Defensive Runs Saved at the position.

The 26-year-old Siani bats and throws left-handed, and has one option year remaining, having used options in 2023 and 2025. He’s totaled one year, 63 days of major league service time to date.

Siani only batted 19 times in his 19 games for the Cardinals in 2025, with five starts in center field, 12 more appearances as a late-inning defensive replacement, and seven times was used as a pinch-runner, similar to Justin Dean’s hyper-specialized role for the Dodgers in September and October.

Atlanta claimed Siani off waivers on November 6, and designated him for assignment on Wednesday to make room for the Braves’ signing of Mike Yastrzemski.

Adding Siani makes for 39 players on the Dodgers’ 40-man roster, which will be full later on Friday when the Edwin Díaz signing is finalized.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-roster/108380/dodgers-michael-siani-waivers-braves

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

2025 Dodgers season review: Luken Baker

Luken Baker spent four days on the Dodgers’ 40-man roster in August and played the final two months of the season in Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Position player depth was an issue for the Dodgers in 2025, and at times they grabbed some players as they became available, in hopes of a potential contribution. Some players saw time with the Dodgers, like Buddy Kennedy, and others like CJ Alexander didn’t get the call to the majors but spent a short amount of time on the 40-man roster.

Baker fell into the latter category, which could have been foreseen when he was claimed off waivers from the Cardinals on August 4. Baker has only played first base and designated hitter offensively as a professional since getting drafted by St. Louis in 2018. The Dodgers have Freddie Freeman and Shohei Ohtani at those positions, which limited the potential avenues Baker might have been able to contribute in the majors.

But the 6’4, 285-pound Baker was a big dude who hit 85 home runs in 317 games for Triple-A Memphis from 2022-24, including winning International League MVP in 2023, and was worth the flier in the Dodgers’ eyes.

The Dodgers designated Baker for assignment on August 8 to make roster room for future postseason defense specialist Justin Dean, but Baker remained in Triple-A after getting sent outright to the minors and hit reasonably well for Oklahoma City the rest of the way, .273/382/.521 with eight home runs in 33 games and a 127 wRC+ for the Comets.

2025 particulars​

Age: 28

Stats: no games with Dodgers, .235/.366/.324 in 19 games for St. Louis

Salary: $766,100, pro-rated for his time in the majors with Cardinals (likely roughly $172,990)

Game of the year​

On September 14 for Oklahoma City, Baker homered twice and drove in four runs in a rout of Sacramento.

Kitchen is NEVER closed when Luken Baker is at the plate!

Baker has homered in both his plate appearances! pic.twitter.com/dk1XPq0y9c

— Oklahoma City Comets (@OKC_comets) September 14, 2025

Roster status​

Baker became a minor league free agent on November 6.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/los-angeles-dodgers-news-notes/107820/luken-baker-2025-dodgers-review

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

2025 Dodgers season review: Alexis Díaz

Running a baseball team is very much so a numbers game, and even the most successful of organizations will miss on a few acquisitions throughout the course of the year, particularly those on the fringes of your 40-man roster, short-term replacements who might evolve into something bigger. For the Dodgers in 2025, one of these players was Alexis Díaz, brother of newly signed Dodger closer Edwin Díaz.

Promoted to the big leagues in 2022, Díaz worked his way into assuming the role of Reds closer, one he fulfilled through the 2024 campaign, but even prior to the start of last season, he had been showing worrisome signs. A 3.99 ERA in 2024 didn’t cost Díaz his closer gig only because the Reds didn’t have much in the way of better options at the time.

All of those saves earned Díaz a substantial $4,5 million salary in 2025, one that the Reds were more than willing to part with early in the year, particularly with him starting the season injured and looking shaky in his return. With the Dodgers in need of bullpen help as Evan Phillips was on the shelf, the salary commitment was no deterrent in the pursuit of the younger Díaz brother. Pitching in Triple A for the Reds after he allowed eight runs in six innings to start the year, Díaz was moved to the Dodgers in late May for Mike Villani, a former 13th-round pick in 2024.

Although the need was time-critical, the Dodgers opted to send Díaz to Arizona and then the minors before giving him a chance with the big league club, and that proved a wise decision—if Díaz’s stats with the Reds were unsettling, things got even worse in Oklahoma City, with 9 runs in 10 innings. Throwing strikes in particular was a massive problem for Díaz, who, in his short period with OKC, walked eight batters.

The initial report was positive on the beginning of Díaz’s tenure with the big league club, racking up four scoreless performances between late July and early August, but it didn’t last. Díaz allowed five runs in his next six appearances, and although the total numbers weren’t that bad, he never fully gained the trust of the team. As the Dodgers scrambled to open up a couple of 40-man rosters in the middle of their catcher crisis in early September, Díaz, who had earned back-to-back holds to wrap up August, was the odd man out. Designated for assignment, the 29-year-old reliever was claimed by Atlanta, where he finished the year with a few underwhelming appearances.

2025 particulars​

Age: 29

Stats: 18 games, 17.2 IP, 8.15 ERA, 12 walks, 17 strikeouts. 9 games, 9 IP, 5.00 ERA, 2 walks, and 9 strikeouts with the Dodgers

Salary: $4,500,000

Game of the year​

Returning to Cincinnati a couple of months after getting traded, Díaz earned his only win of the season on July 29th, retiring all four hitters he faced to help Los Angeles beat the Reds 5-4.

Roster status​

Let go by the Braves, Díaz was a free agent this offseason and signed a one-year deal with the Texas Rangers.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/los-angeles-dodgers-news-notes/108401/alexis-diaz-2025-dodgers-review

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

2025 Dodgers season review: Eddie Rosario

From Dodger killer turned Dodger, the 2021 NLCS MVP Eddie Rosario appeared in just two games with the Dodgers at the big league level in April before bouncing around between the Atlanta Braves and Milwaukee Brewers minor league systems.

Rosario was coming off a disappointing 2024 season where he spent time between the Washington Nationals and Braves, posting a .175/.215/.316 slash line across 91 games before spending his final two weeks of play with the Triple-A Syracuse Mets.

Rosario nearly waited the entire offseason to find a new home, signing a minor league deal with the Dodgers just four days before their cactus league opener on Feb. 20. He was the first player in 2025 cactus league play to score a run, doing so via a two-run home run in his very first at-bat of the spring. He finished spring training with a pair of home runs and five driven in, although he posted an uninspiring .154/.241/.423 slash line over 29 plate appearances, and started the regular season with the Triple-A Oklahoma City Comets.

With the Comets, Rosario got off to an electric start over his first 14 games by slashing .339/.406/.542 with two home runs and 12 RBI. As Shohei Ohtani was placed on the paternity list as he awaited the birth of his daughter, Rosario was briefly called up while the Dodgers were in Arlington to take on the Rangers. He had a hit in four at-bats over just two games before being designated for assignment on Apr. 20 with Ohtani making his return. He was released by the Dodgers five days later before once again returning to the Braves for his third stint with them.

Rosario went hitless in only four at-bats with Atlanta across three games and was designated for assignment on May 9. After being outrighted to Triple-A Gwinnett, he elected free agency, only to be signed to a minor league deal by the Milwaukee Brewers on May 15. He appeared in 20 games with the Triple-A Nashville Sounds, slashing .290/.373/.449 with two home runs and 11 RBI, but was released by Milwaukee on June 15 and has not appeared in affiliated ball since.

2025 particulars​

Age: 33

Stats with Dodgers: 1-4, .250/.250/.250, 0 RBI, 2 games

Salary: unknown

Game of the year​

Out of the two games Rosario played with the Dodgers, the better half came on April 19 against the Texas Rangers where he went 1-2, recording his lone hit in a Dodgers uniform.

Roster status​

Eddie Rosario is a free agent.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/los-angeles-dodgers-news-notes/108249/eddie-rosario-2025-dodgers-review

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

2025 Dodgers season review: Julian Fernández

Julian Fernández signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers in January which included a non-roster invitation to spring training, and the right-hander pitched in the majors for the first time in four years. He was the 35th of a franchise-record-tying 40 pitchers used by the team in 2025.

The Dodgers media guide noted that Fernández’s nickname “billete” was translated as “the ticket,” and he did in fact punch his ticket back to the majors with Los Angeles. He was the first, and to date the only Julian in Dodgers history.

He was called up on July 7 after a strong stretch of two-plus months in Triple-A Oklahoma City, and pitched the final two innings of a Dodgers loss in Milwaukee on July 7. This was the first of six losses to the Brewers during the regular season, a script that was flipped during the NLCS.

But back to Fernández, he took a ride on the fresh arm express one day after pitching two innings, optioned back to Oklahoma City in favor of Alexis Díaz.

Fernández’s work with the Comets was quite strong, with a 3.05 ERA and four saves in 35 games, and a 28.7-percent strikeout rate with 49 strikeouts against 15 walks in his 41 1/3 innings. Five of his 14 runs allowed with Oklahoma City came on April 4, in his second game with the team.

But he didn’t get the call back to the Dodgers and was designated for assignment on August 15 to make roster room for Mr. 2,000 Buddy Kennedy.

The Nationals claimed Fernández off waivers on August 17, and he split time the rest of the season between Washington D.C. and Triple-A Rochester. He got into three games for the Nationals, allowing one solo home run in three innings with four strikeouts.

2025 particulars​

Age: 29

Stats: 1 game, 2 innings, 2 runs, 1 walk, 1 strikeout with Dodgers

Salary: unknown

Game of the year​

Fernández allowed two runs in two mop-up innings in his only game with the Dodgers, so we’ll use a Triple-A game here instead. On August 1 for Oklahoma City, Fernández retired all six batters he faced as an opener at home against Salt Lake, and struck out a season-high four batters.

Roster status​

Fernández is on the Nationals 40-man roster.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/los-ange...s/108063/julian-fernandez-2025-dodgers-review

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Edwin Díaz contract details, Dodgers payroll, draft pick loss & more

The Dodgers finalized their contract for closer Edwin Díaz on Friday, signing the veteran closer for three years and $69 million. At $23 million per year, Díaz has the largest reliever contract by average annual value in baseball history, breaking his own record.

Much like several Dodgers contracts in recent years, Díaz has deferred money in his deal. In each year of the contract, $4.5 million of Díaz’s salary is deferred on the following schedule, per Ronald Blum at Associated Press: “Díaz’s deferred money is payable in 10 equal installments each July 1. The 2026 money is due from 2036-45, the 2027 money from 2037-46 and the 2028 money from 2038-47.”

The deferred salaries reduce the average annual value for competitive balance tax purposes from $23 million to roughly $21.1 million, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

Díaz gets a signing bonus of $9 million, and the following salaries, per:

2026: $14 million ($4.5 million deferred)
2027: $23 million ($4.5 million deferred)
2028: $23 million ($4.5 million deferred)

There’s also a conditional option (somewhat similar to Blake Treinen’s 2024), per Blum at AP:

Los Angeles has a $6.5 million conditional team option for 2029 with no buyout. The option could be exercised if he has a specified injury through the end of the 2028 season and he does not end the season or postseason healthy, or if he has a specified surgery.

If the conditional option is exercised, he could earn $2.5 million in performance bonuses for 2029 based on games finished: $750,000 each for 45 and 50 games and $1 million for 55.

Record setter​

Díaz’s last two contracts are the top two contracts for a reliever by average annual value. His five-year, $102 million deal with the Mets also set a record for most guaranteed money for a reliever in one contract. After earning $64 million in the first three years in New York, Díaz in November opted out of the final two years and $38 million of the deal, and based on his new deal was right to do so.

Highest average annual value by a reliever

Edwin Díaz, Dodgers (2026-28), $23 million per year
Edwin Díaz, Mets (2023-27), $21.4 million
Josh Hader, Astros (2024-28), $19 million
Liam Hendricks, White Sox (2021-23), $18 million
Tanner Scott, Dodgers (2025-28), $18 million

Other costs of the deal​

Because Díaz rejected a qualifying offer from the Mets, the Dodgers for signing him will forfeit their second- and fifth-highest draft pick in 2026, and will have their 2026 international bonus pool reduced by $1 million.

This was a similar situation for Dodgers drafts in both 2021 (after signing Trevor Bauer) and 2022 (after signing Freddie Freeman). The 2022 draft pick loss was offset slightly by receiving a compensatory pick after the fourth round for losing Corey Seager in free agency.

The Dodgers will also see their top draft pick in 2026 drop 10 spots for exceeding the third competitive balance tax payroll threshold of $281 million for 2025, which was also the case in the 2023 and 2025 drafts. The final payroll numbers aren’t out yet, but the Dodgers final total will be well beyond the fourth and highest threshold ($301 million) as well, and they will break their own record for competitive balance tax paid in one season.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-...-details-dodgers-payroll-draft-pick-loss-more

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

2025 Dodgers season review: Michael Conforto

When looking back on the 2025 season of Michael Conforto with hindsight, one realizes that the Dodgers were using Conforto to answer a question that was quickly rendered moot: what do the Dodgers do if Teoscar Hernandez decides to sign with Toronto or elsewhere?

Unlike the 2021-signing of Trevor Bauer or the 2025-signings of Tanner Scott or Kirby Yates, the signing of Conforto made some degree of sense at the time. With no Teoscar Hernandez (yet) in the fold, someone had to play in the outfield apart from Andy Pages, James Outman, and Chris Taylor.

In 2024, when playing away from the cavernous confines of Oracle Park, in 72 games, Conforto hit 17 of his 20 home runs with a slash line of .253/.323/.530 (as compared to three home runs and a slash line of .216/.292/.341).

For $17 million, if Conforto could approximate, heaven forbid match, his 2024-away production with the 2025 Dodgers, at the expense of the hapless Giants, that result would be a win-win.

Then Teoscar came back. Yes, the outfield defense with both Conforto in left and Teoscar in right would probably suffer a little. Still, Hernandez and Conforto would likely slug enough to overcome any defensive lapses in the field.

The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men​

Needless to say, the plan as diagrammed did not work.

Moreover, Conforto had his worst season as a professional. Imagine a hybrid of the worst of Joey Gallo (contact), Joc Pederson (defense), and Carl Crawford (speed), and one would have an approximation of how poorly Conforto was in 2025.

To everyone’s detriment, the following sentence never applied to Conforto in 2025: “And then on this date, the Dodgers designated Michael Conforto for assignment.” Instead, everyone had to suffer through the shambolic interia that was Michael Conforto as a Los Angeles Dodger.

The Dodgers overlooked one critical statistic when signing Conforto: in 2024, with runners in scoring position, Conforto had a slash line of .217/.312/.359, which would have been an improvement in 2025.

Conforto did show promise in the spring, with Dave Roberts having the mother of all terribly wrong predictions, comparing Conforto to Teoscar in 2024:

“I think he’s going to be one of my picks to click this year as far as a guy that I think is going to really take a step forward,” manager Dave Roberts said of Conforto.

Conforto did perform well in Tokyo (both the exhibitions and the Tokyo Series) and the first week of the year, with a slash line of .368/.500/.737 (7 for 19 with a home run, four RBIs, and four doubles). I saw Conforto hit this bomb at the Tokyo Dome from my hotel in Kyoto.

View Link

Unlike 2024-Teoscar Hernandez, Conforto’s offense basically disappeared overnight after the first week of the domestic season, as breaking his season down by month generally tells the tale of offensive futility, where the Dodgers probably should have cut bait by Memorial Day or at the Trade Deadline at the absolute latest.

• March/April: .156/.303/.267, 16 R, 4 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 1 SB, 17 BB, 31 K
• May: .194/.337/.306, 8 R, 5 2B, HR, 4 RBI, 13 BB, 23 K
• June: .175/.246/.349, 6 R, 2 2B, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 4 BB, 9 K
• July: .273/.342/.485, 9 R, 5 2B, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 6 BB, 15 K
• August: .167/.243/.273, 6 R, 4 2B, HR, 5 RBI, 6 BB, 25 K
• September: .246/.347/.344, 9 R, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 10 BB, 18 K

Still, the Dodgers kept sending Conforto out to left field. Per Dave Roberts to Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register in early May:

“I have thought about it,” Roberts said of benching Conforto at least temporarily. “I know he’s grinding right now. We’ll see. … If he doesn’t look more comfortable, to be able to give him a couple days off might make sense. But right now, I want to keep running him out there.”

Conforto had one good month in July, which was apparently enough to convince the Dodgers not to pull the trigger on Cleveland’s demands for outfielder Steven Kwan at the trade deadline. Everyone in baseball figured the Dodgers would end up with Kwan as the Guardians had the Dodgers over the figurative barrel.

Instead, the Dodgers settled on acquiring Alex Call and persisted with Conforto in left field, who rebounded slightly in September.

Conforto has been a bit of a defensive liability in left field in recent years, and 2025 was no different. Conforto had four errors in left field, which was his worst mark since 2021. Ironically enough, while at the bottom of the league for fielding percentage, Conforto did better than Kwan and Jarren Duran of the Boston Red Sox. The occasional web gem did not overcome the general liability that his glove provided in left field.

Second game in a row for a Conforto defensive boner and Yamamoto getting screwed by the defense. pic.twitter.com/97pgXnxuxg

— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) July 28, 2025

Mr. Automatic Out​

Conforto’s chief sin in Los Angeles was being literally one of the least clutch batters in MLB in 2025.

The Dodger that Conforto most commonly drove in was himself. For comparison, Bo Bichette of the Toronto Blue Jays led baseball in 2025 with an otherworldly slash line of .381/.427/.626 and a wRC+ of 189 with runners in scoring position during the regular season campaign. At the literal opposite end of the spectrum was Conforto, who was tied for 4th-worst in the same situation. Conforto had a slash line of .180/.274/.300 and a wRC+ of 63, with 100 being average.

Offensive production for Conforto was the exception rather than the norm, especially in the clutch. This state of affairs caused much of the agitation of the fanbase, some more than others, reaching levels of hate not seen since Harlan Ellison’s “I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream.“

If one was pressed to find a positive about Michael Conforto in 2025, it would be that Conforto shockingly did have success against one team in 2025, not counting a single series against the Cleveland Guardians, the Sacramento Athletics, or the Boston Red Sox: the San Francisco Giants.

In 11 games against the Giants, Conforto somehow went 14 for 37 with a slash line of .378/.415/.649 in both San Francisco and Los Angeles. If Conforto could somehow play only against the Giants, he would be a second Bo Bichette.

To his credit, Conforto did not publicly complain about his generally disastrous tenure in Los Angeles. In fact, when Conforto’s batting average peaked above the Bob Uecker line of .200 for the first time since mid-April, both Conforto and Dave Roberts commented.

“That’s nice. It’s been a long time. It’s been like five months,” Conforto said.

Manager Dave Roberts also had praise for Conforto, who finally seems to be turning a corner.

“He’s off the interstate, which is a good thing,” Roberts said.

Conforto’s average made a U-turn back to the interstate and dipped back below .200 the following game, rebounding back and forth before settling just under the Uecker line at .199 to close out the year.

Conforto did not make any of the postseason rosters, which was a mild surprise considering how persistently the Dodgers kept deploying Conforto in the lineup throughout the regular year, much to the annoyance of most of the fanbase.

Kiké Hernández took over the everyday left fielder duties during the playoffs, rendering Conforto a spectator for the Dodgers’ title defense in October. Considering how disastrous the 2025 campaign was for Conforto, it would be extremely unlikely that Conforto suits up again for the team in 2026.

2025 particulars​

Age: 32

Stats: .199/.305/.333/.637, 12 HR, 36 RBI, 20 2B, 54 R, 56 BB, 121 K, 1 SB, 83 wRC+, -.7 rWAR, -.6 fWAR

Salary: $17 million

Game of the year​

Given that the task of picking a Game of the Year is made easier by Conforto tormenting the Giants among all teams, we must select September 20th against the Giants in Los Angeles. While he did have a 3-for-4 game with 3 RBIs in a rout in San Francisco the week before, we instead pick a 3-for-4 game with an RBI, where he provided some padding in a much more competitive contest.

View Link

Roster status​

Conforto is a free agent.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/los-ange...s/107630/michael-conforto-2025-dodgers-review

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Yoshinobu Yamamoto wins Babe Ruth Award as postseason MVP

After a weekend to digest Edwin Díaz’s three-year deal getting finalized and the Dodgers claiming defensive-specialist Michael Siani off waivers, here are a few more stories to start your week.

The New York chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America has bestowed a Babe Ruth Award for the postseason MVP annually since 1949. Yoshinobu Yamamoto captured the award this year, per the Associated Press, and will be presented the award in a ceremony on January 24 in New York.

Yamamoto during the postseason was 5-1 with a 1.45 ERA in six postseason games, including five starts, with 33 strikeouts and six walks in 37 1/3 innings. His complete games in Game 2 of he NLCS and Game 2 of the World Series made him the first major league pitcher with back-to-back postseason complete games in 24 years. He followed his Game 6 win in Toronto with the final eight outs of relief to close out Game 7 on zero days rest, and the first pitcher to win three road games in a single World Series.

Yamamoto is the seventh Dodger to win the Babe Ruth Award, joining Johnny Podres for Brooklyn (1955), Larry Sherry (1959), Sandy Koufax (1963, 1965), Ron Cey (1981), Orel Hershiser (1988), and Mookie Betts (2024).

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Tyler Glasnow, a subject of recent rumored trade interest, was a guest on MLB Network Radio’s Sunday Sliders program, and per host Dani Wexelman of Sirius XM said that Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman told Glasnow he isn’t being traded.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/los-ange...hinobu-yamamoto-babe-ruth-award-tyler-glasnow

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Dodgers notes: Tyler Glasnow, Nick Frasso, 2026 draft preview

Tarik Skubal has been the talk of the town regarding star players on the trade block, and the Dodgers are certainly in the mix for his services. Should they succeed at luring him in, they would undoubtedly sport the greatest five-man starting rotation in the game.

Such a trade would require the Dodgers to send back a star-caliber player of their own, and one name that has popped up in trade rumors is Tyler Glasnow, per Alden Gonzalez at ESPN, although the likeliness of his name being included in a Skubal blockbuster is a long shot.

Tyler Glasnow’s name has come up in conversations, and the Dodgers would not be opposed to moving him… Maybe he’s part of the package that brings Tarik Skubal to L.A. It’s a long shot, perhaps, but wilder things have happened.

Links​

Right-hander Nick Frasso is back with the Dodgers on a minor-league deal, tweets Aram Leighton of Just Baseball Media. After having missed the entire 2024 season, Frasso was a part of the Dodgers’ Tokyo Series roster, but did not make an appearance in the two games. He spent most of the 2025 season out of the bullpen for the Triple-A Oklahoma City Comets, posting a 6-1 record with a 5.49 ERA, striking out 68 and walking 42 across 77 innings in 43 appearances. Frasso, along with reliever Evan Phillips, were both non-tendered by the Dodgers on Nov. 21.

The 2026 MLB draft is not for another seven months, but Jim Callis of MLB.com is already veering into the potential selections for the Dodgers. Callis named right-handed pitcher Tegan Kuhns from the University of Tennessee as the Dodgers’ first pick in early mock drafts, noting his potential to be a frontline starter for a big league rotation.

The top sophomore-eligible pitcher available, Kuhns posted a 5.40 ERA with 40 strikeouts in 36 2/3 innings last spring before dominating in three Cape Cod League starts. He has advanced feel for spin, translating it into good carry on a 93-95 mph fastball that reaches 98 and impressive downer break on an upper-70s curveball. He eventually could pitch in the front half of a big league rotation if adding more strength helps him improve his control and develop a dependable third pitch.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-links/108407/dodgers-tyler-glasnow-nick-frasso-2026-draft-preview

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

2025 Dodgers season review: Kirby Yates

Potentially, no reliever in the entire sport saw a larger dropoff in performance from their 2024 to 2025 production than the veteran Kirby Yates, perfectly encapsulating a trying year for a Dodger bullpen that failed to live up to expectations. Signed to a very lucrative one-year deal following a magnificent campaign with the Texas Rangers, Yates was part of a bullpen spending spree that also saw the Dodgers bring in Tanner Scott, forming what looked like a formidable duo spearheading this unit.

For someone who had three separate IL stints, Yates actually did a reasonable job of staying out there for a significant period, covering a little over 40 innings. Unfortunately for Yates, a promising start to his Dodger career, which saw the right-hander secure 24 of his 54 punch-outs through the end of April, quickly went south.

Showcasing the difficult aspects of the life of an elite reliever, across his first 21 appearances, Yates compiled 17 scoreless performances with 31 strikeouts and only five walks, all of which sounds pretty good, right? One bad outing later, as the Dodgers hosted the Angels in mid-May, his last one before hitting the IL, all of a sudden Yates had a 4.34 ERA.

Yates’ first stint on the IL didn’t last much longer than the league minimum, and he was quite effective in his return in June, even if just for a short term. Perhaps a worrying sign even before the runs started to come again, the veteran wasn’t getting strikeouts at anywhere near his usual level (9.5 SO/9 in June).

It wasn’t long until injuries became a problem once again. Right at the beginning of August, the veteran reliever once again had to be sidelined, this time with lower back pain that kept him out for nearly a month. So much of this sport relies on rhythm, and Yates just never could get into one in 2025, ultimately seeing his season cut short with a second right hamstring issue in September. Curiously, Yates’ final four appearances of the year all came against the Giants, which saw him earn a pair of holds despite allowing more runs than innings pitched (4 in 3 IP).

As evidenced by the persistence in trying to recover Blake Treinen during the playoffs, even with his disappointing campaign, Yates likely would’ve received a similar treatment had he been around for the postseason. In the end, that didn’t happen, and the Dodgers had to look elsewhere. Roki Sasaki would’ve gotten the call one way or another, but there’s something symmetrical about the fact that he was brought up as the corresponding move to Yates’ third and final IL trip as a Dodger in 2025.

2025 particulars​

Age: 38

Stats: 50 games, 41.1 IP, 5.23 ERA, 17 walks, 52 strikeouts

Salary: $13,000,000

Game of the year​

A home win against the Cubs in early April with Yates’ involvement symbolized what management envisioned from their veteran reliever and their pitching staff as a whole this past season. Following six scoreless innings from Yoshinobu Yamamoto, each of Yates, Blake Treinen, and Tanner Scott tossed one scoreless inning to help the Dodgers hold on to a 3-0 win, limiting the Cubs to two hits the whole game.

Roster status​

After a down year, Yates is back on the market, quite likely to sign another one-year deal.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/los-angeles-dodgers-news-notes/108493/kirby-yates-2025-dodgers-review

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Dodgers notes: Edwin Díaz, Dustin May, David Dahl

Edwin Díaz was facing the Dodgers as the star closer for the New York Mets during the 2024 NLCS. Just over a year later, and Díaz is the newest face of the Dodgers’ bullpen as their star closer.

The race for Díaz ultimately came down to three teams; the Dodgers offered Díaz a three-year deal for $69 million (which he accepted), the Mets lowballed him with a three-year deal for $66 million after signing reliever Devin Williams, and the Atlanta Braves, who had already re-signed closer Raisel Iglesias, managed to offer him a five-year deal, as reported by Jorge Castillo at ESPN. After missing out on Díaz, Atlanta bolstered their bullpen by bringing in former San Diego Padres reliever Robert Suarez on a three-year deal for $45 million.

Castillo notes that Díaz wanted to sign a contract with at least $20 million in annual average value even after including deferrals, and New York and Atlanta were both unwilling to oblige.

Links​

Former Dodgers starter Dustin May has found a new home for the 2026 season, this time heading back to the National League after finishing the 2025 season with the Boston Red Sox. May and the St. Louis Cardinals agreed to a one-year deal with a mutual option for the 2027 season, with Jeff Passan at ESPN being the first to report the news and Charlie Wright at MLBTraderumors.com sharing the details of the contract. May will serve as a frontline member of the starting rotation for a rebuilding Cardinals team after St. Louis dealt ace Sonny Gray to the Boston Red Sox.

Former big league outfielder David Dahl, who spent part of the 2023 season with Triple-A Oklahoma City, took to his Instagram to announce his retirement from baseball.

“Baseball has been my life for as long as I can remember. From being a kid in Alabama chasing a lifelong dream to stepping on a big-league field, it’s been an incredible ride. After 13 seasons, it’s officially time to hang it up,” Dahl wrote. “Thank you baseball for every single day.”

Dahl spent parts of eight big league seasons between the Colorado Rockies, Texas Rangers, San Diego Padres and Philadelphia Phillies, slashing .268/.313/.460 with 46 home runs and 169 RBI across 350 games while being named an NL All-Star in 2019 with Colorado.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-links/108489/dodgers-edwin-diaz-dustin-may-david-dahl

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Dodgers World Series win celebrated at Hall of Fame

Every year at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, the reigning champion has a display at the museum with various artifacts and highlights from the World Series and postseason. For the second straight year, the ‘Autumn Glory’ display will celebrate the Dodgers.

After the Dodgers won the World Series in Toronto on November 1, to become the first MLB team to repeat as champions in a quarter century, a few poses from the clubhouse hinted at items headed to the Hall of Fame, like four-inning Game 3 hero Will Klein’s glove or the shoes Will Smith wore while hitting the championship-winning home run in the 11th inning of Game 7.

If it wasn’t for Will Klein’s gutsy performance in Game 3, there may never have been a Game 7.

The unlikely hero out of the @Dodgers bullpen will send his glove to the Hall of Fame. pic.twitter.com/4newX80hIg

— National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum (@baseballhall) November 2, 2025

Where there’s a Will, there’s a way.

Will Smith is donating the shoes he used to hit his Game 7-winning home run to the Hall of Fame! pic.twitter.com/SYaDPpc32U

— National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum (@baseballhall) November 2, 2025

From the Hall of Fame on Tuesday, here are some more of the items on display, including some from the Blue Jays as well:

• Bat used by Miguel Rojas to hit his ninth-inning, game-tying home run in Game 7
• Jersey worn by Shohei Ohtani during Game 5
• Spikes worn by Will Smith when he hit his go-ahead home run in Game 7
• Glove used by Mookie Betts throughout the World Series, including in his series-ending double play
• Bat used by Freddie Freeman to hit his walk-off home run in the 18th inning of Game 3
• Glove worn by Will Klein, who pitched four shutout innings to earn the win in the 18-inning Game 3
• Jersey worn by manager Dave Roberts in Game 7
• Glove worn by Blue Jays pitcher Trey Yesavage during the World Series
• Cleats worn by the Blue Jays’ Addison Barger in Game 1 when he hit the first pinch-hit grand slam in World Series history
• A ball thrown by Toronto’s Max Scherzer in Game 3 when he became the first pitcher to appear for four teams in the World Series
• Alan Porter’s home plate umpire indicator from Game 5, which he also used in the 15-inning finale of the Mariners vs. Tigers ALDS contest

This ‘Autumn Glory’ exhibit, which replaces last year’s Dodgers exhibit, will be on display at the Hall of Fame through the end of the 2026 postseason.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/los-angeles-dodgers-news-notes/108481/dodgers-world-series-hall-of-fame

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Dodgers players’ haul for winning World Series is $484,748 per share

LOS ANGELES – A full postseason share for the Dodgers, who won the World Series for a second straight season, is worth $484,747.57 in 2025, part of a total $128.2 million player pool for the postseason, a source confirmed to True Blue LA.

Players’ share of the postseason pool is determined by gate receipts from the guaranteed length of all four rounds of the playoffs. Sixty percent of the first two games of each wild card series, minus visiting team travel expenses for the single-site series is part of the total pool, as is 60 percent of the first three games of each Division Series, the first four games of each League Championship Series, and the first four games of the World Series.

Postseason shares are distributed as follows:

• 36 percent to the World Series winner (Dodgers)
• 24 percent to the World Series loser (Blue Jays)
• 12 percent to each LCS loser (Brewers, Mariners)
• 3.25 percent to each Division Series loser (Phillies, Cubs, Yankees, Tigers)
• 0.75 percent to each wild card series loser (Reds, Padres, Red Sox, Guardians)

The total pool this year is $128,186,164.98, down only slightly (0.7 percent) from the 2024 total of $129.1 million. The Dodgers’ portion is $46,147,019.39, which included 82 shares at $484,747.57 each, 12.5 partial shares, plus miscellaneous cash awards that totaled $340,000.

This year’s full share for the Dodgers is slightly higher than last year ($477,441), because there were three fewer full shares and five fewer partial shares.

Any player on the team or injured list by June 1 through the end of the season get a full share. All other players’ shares are subject to vote by the players by the end of the regular season.

Two athletic trainers and one club strength and conditional coach are eligible to receive a full or partial share as voted on the players. Other non-uniformed personnel – per Major League Rule 45(b)(4), “including, but not limited to, spring training coaches, traveling secretaries, clubhouse personnel, media relations personnel, scouts, and members of the grounds crew” – are not eligible for a postseason share but are eligible for cash awards, which cannot exceed the value of a full share.

A full postseason share of $484,748 for the Dodgers comes out to 63.8 percent of the 2025 minimum salary of $760,000. For some players with under three years of service time who split time between the majors and minors during the season, they might have been paid more for the postseason than during the regular season.

Year	Total player pool	Dodgers finish	LA pool	LA full share amount	LA full shares
2013	$62,683,967	lost NLCS	$7,522,076	$108,037	58
2014	$62,026,462	lost NLDS	$2,015,860	$31,543	54
2015	$69,882,149	lost NLDS	$2,271,170	$34,169	48
2016	$76,627,827	lost NLCS	$9,195,339	$123,741	65
2017	$84,500,432	lost WS	$20,280,104	$259,722	65
2018	$88,188,633	lost WS	$21,165,272	$262,027	67
2019	$80,861,146	lost NLDS	$2,627,987	$32,428	60
2020	$50,000,000	won WS	$18,000,000	unknown	unknown
2021	$90,468,645	lost NLCS	$10,856,437	$112,701	80
2022	$107,510,840	lost NLDS	$3,494,102	$36,148	82
2023	$107,798,415	lost NLDS	$3,503,448	$36,929	80
2024	$129,092,159	won WS	$46,473,177	$477,441	79
2025	$128,186,165	won WS	$46,147,019	$484,748	82

2020 pool amount is unknown, but was guaranteed to be at least $50 million

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-payroll/107755/dodgers-postseason-shares-2025

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

2025 Dodgers in review: Clayton Kershaw

In what was the final season of his historic career, Clayton Kershaw gave Dodgers fans one last hurrah as he ended his career as a three-time champion and one of the greatest pitchers in franchise history.

Kershaw played a minor role in helping the Dodgers maintain their supremacy in the NL West in 2024, making just seven starts before suffering a bone spur in his toe. Once again a free agent, Kershaw signed back with the Dodgers on one-year deal, but was placed on the IL to begin the season after undergoing surgeries to repair both his foot and a torn meniscus.

Kershaw missed the first month of action as he continued to rehab, but he made his 2025 debut on May 17 against the crosstown Angels. He struggled mightily in his first start, giving up five runs across just four innings before a rain delay in Queens limited his next start to just two innings of work against the New York Mets.

Kershaw managed to hit his stride in June, where he managed to toss at least five innings in four of his five starts, posting a perfect 4-0 record with a 2.28 ERA while striking out 23 and walking just seven across 27 2/3 innings of work. By the end of the month, Kershaw was sitting at 2,997 career strikeouts, with a chance to make history in his next start against the Chicago White Sox.

Kershaw’s road to history against Chicago was a hard-fought battle, having given up four runs over 5 2/3 innings with just two strikeouts. Against Vinny Capra, and with his next pitch being his 100th of the night, Kershaw placed a slider on the outside corner to get Capra looking and cemented himself as the 20th member of the 3,000 strikeout club. Kershaw joined Steve Carlton and Randy Johnson as the only left-handers with at least 3,000 strikeouts and became the only one of the three to do so with just one team.

Strikeout No. 3,000!

Clayton Kershaw becomes the 20th pitcher in Major League Baseball history to record 3,000 career strikeouts. pic.twitter.com/mD7tM1POJC

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) July 3, 2025

Kershaw was named to the NL All-Star team for the 11th time in his career as a “legend” pick, and he managed to get two quick outs on six pitchers, striking out Vladimir Guerrero while mic’d up with the broadcasting crew during the midsummer classic.

Kershaw once again struggled to open the second half, overall miring in a poor month of July where he posted an 0-2 record with 4.71 ERA, with his strikeouts dropping to just 10 in 21 innings over four starts. He quickly turned the page in August, as he secured a winning decision in each of his five starts and lowered his ERA to 3.06 by month’s end.

The Dodgers had just wrapped up their first series win over the Philadelphia Phillies since 2023 on Sept. 17, where Blake Snell had a statement performance by striking out 12 over seven shutout innings. The following day, Dodgers fans were shocked when it was that Clayton Kershaw would retire following the 2025 season. Kershaw never publicly hinted at retiring throughout the season, but privately, through conversations with his wife, Ellen, he knew that it was the right time to call it a career.

“Usually we wait until the offseason to make a final call, but I think almost going into the season we kind of knew that this was going to be it. I didn’t want to say anything, unless I changed my mind… Over the course of the season, how grateful I am to have been healthy, be out on the mound, and be able to pitch, I think it just made it obvious this was a good sending-off point.”

His final home start of his regular season career came on Sept. 19 against the San Francisco Giants, and although he went just 4 1/3 innings while throwing 91 pitches, he allowed just two runs and struck out six hitters, with the final strikeout of his home career coming against Rafael Devers. He made his fourth career regular season relief appearance while the team was in Arizona, and he made his final regular season start in Seattle against the Mariners, tossing 5 1/3 shutout innings while striking out seven.

Kershaw’s presence in the postseason was minimal at best, having been relegated to mop-up duties during the Dodgers’ loss to the Phillies in Game 3 of the NLDS. He wasn’t on the field for any of the Dodgers’ four games against the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLCS, but he got one opportunity in the World Series.

In an 18 inning marathon between the Dodgers and Blue Jays in Game 3, Kershaw came in with the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the 12th inning, with the goal to get Nathan Lukes out and preserve the tie. Kershaw tossed eight pitches to Lukes, with the final one being hit weakly to the right side of the infield. Tommy Edman made a shovel pass to Freddie Freeman to send the game to the bottom of the 12th, and Clayton Kershaw threw the final pitch of his 18-year career, ultimately ending with his third World Series championship.

Kershaw ends his career as the Dodgers all-time leader in strikeouts and second to Don Sutton in wins, and he is the most valuable Dodger in history per both rWAR and fWAR. His career 2.53 ERA is the second best in baseball since the beginning of the live ball era behind Hall of Fame pitcher Hoyt Wilhelm, and his career 154 ERA+ is tied with Pedro Martinez as the best in baseball history among starting pitchers with at least 2,000 innings.

2025 particulars​

Age: 37

Stats: 11-2, 3.36 ERA, 1.216 WHIP, 3.55 FIP, 84 K, 35 BB, 112 2/3 IP, 124 ERA+, 1.6 rWAR, 2.5 fWAR

Postseason stats: 2 1/3 IP, 5 ER, 3 BB

Salary: $7,500,000

Game of the year​

Clayton Kershaw saved his best start for last, as in the final start of his 18-year career, he tossed 5 1/3 shutout innings against the Seattle Mariners, giving up just four hits and one walk while striking out seven.

Roster status​

Clayton Kershaw is retired after spending his entire 18-year career with the Dodgers. He will become eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2031.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/los-angeles-dodgers-news-notes/108257/clayton-kershaw-2025-dodgers-review

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Dodgers will pay $169.4 million in competitive balance tax, a new MLB record

The Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series for the second year in a row, and did so with the highest-paid team in Major League Baseball history. The Dodgers’ payroll in 2025 for competitive balance tax purposes was $417.3 million, per Ronald Blum at Associated Press, which resulted in a record-setting luxury tax levy of $169.4 million.

At $417,341,608 in 2025, the Dodgers bested the $374.7 million by the 2023 New York Mets for the highest payroll in MLB history. The 2024 Dodgers at $353 million had the third-highest payroll.

The $169,375,768 million in competitive balance tax is also a new MLB record, surpassing the $103 million paid by the Dodgers last season.

This is the fifth season in a row the Dodgers have surpassed the competitive balance tax threshold. Any team repeating three or more years in a row as payers are subject to the highest tax rates at each level. In 2025, the initial CBT threshold was $241 million. The Dodgers paid a 50-percent tax for the first $20 million over the threshold, 62 percent for the next $20 million, 95 percent for the next $20 million, and 110 percent on everything above $301 million.

Payroll	Amount	Tax rate	Tax amount
$0-241 million	$241,000,000	0.0%	$0
$241-261 million	$20,000,000	50.0%	$10,000,000
$261-281 million	$20,000,000	62.0%	$12,400,000
$281-301 million	$20,000,000	95.0%	$19,000,000
over $301 million	$116,341,608	110.0%	$61,616,896
Totals	$417,341,608	96.0%	$169,375,768

A total of nine teams paid competitive balance tax in 2025, including the Mets, Yankees, Phillies, Blue Jays, Padres, Astros, Red Sox, and Rangers.

The Dodgers surpassed the third threshold of $281 million, which in addition to the elevated tax rate comes with the extra penalty of their first draft pick in 2026 dropping 10 slots, which was also the case for Los Angeles in the 2022 draft, 2023 draft, and 2025 draft as well.

Adding Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Tyler Glasnow on big deals and extending Will Smith for 10 years prior to the 2024 season ensured the Dodgers would be paying the luxury tax for the foreseeable future, a trend that continued last offseason by signing Blake Snell, Tanner Scott, Teoscar Hernández, and Tommy Edman, and this month with Edwin Díaz.

The Dodgers have 15 players under contract for 2026, and adding in assumptions for minor leaguers on the 40-man roster, the pre-arbitration bonus pool, and standard team benefit costs, the estimated payroll next season for CBT purposes is already over $315 million, and that’s before the four remaining players eligible for salary arbitration plus filling out the rest of the roster.

The first CBT threshold is $244 million in 2026 – the final season of the current collective bargaining agreement – with the fourth and highest threshold at $304 million.

Guggenheim Partners has owned the Dodgers since May 2012. In the 13 full seasons under this group, beginning in 2013, the Dodgers have paid the competitive balance tax 10 times, averaging $272.9 million in payroll per season with a total tax paid of $506.6 million. Both of those figures lead MLB in that span, with the New York Yankees second in each category, totaling $299.6 million in tax with an average payroll of $249.6 million.

Year	CBT threshold	LA payroll	Tax	Rate
2013	$178,000,000	$243,234,050	$11,415,959	17.5%
2014	$189,000,000	$277,737,083	$26,621,125	30.0%
2015	$189,000,000	$298,320,297	$43,728,119	40.0%
2016	$189,000,000	$252,551,634	$31,775,817	50.0%
2017	$195,000,000	$253,633,893	$36,209,572	61.8%
2018	$197,000,000	$195,039,730	$0	0.0%
2019	$206,000,000	$204,918,530	$0	0.0%
2020	$208,000,000	$204,653,651	$0	0.0%
2021	$210,000,000	$285,599,944	$32,649,965	43.2%
2022	$230,000,000	$293,330,382	$32,397,344	51.2%
2023	$233,000,000	$268,198,867	$19,423,297	55.2%
2024	$237,000,000	$353,015,360	$103,016,896	88.8%
2025	$241,000,000	$417,341,608	$169,375,768	96.0%

Competitive balance tax payments are due to Major League Baseball by January 21. The first $3.5 million of the total tax collected is used to defray costs associated with teams’ funding of the players benefit plans. The rest is divided as follows, per the collective bargaining agreement:

(a) 50% of the remaining proceeds collected for each Contract Year, with accrued interest, shall be used to fund contributions to the Players’ individual retirement accounts, as provided in the Major League Baseball Players Benefit Plan Agreements.

(b) The other 50% of the remaining proceeds collected for each Contract Year, with accrued interest, shall be used to fund a Supplemental Commissioner’s Discretionary Fund.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-payroll/108038/dodgers-payroll-competitive-balance-tax-2025

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Clayton Kershaw should play for Team USA

Clayton Kershaw has ridden off into the sunset as an unlikely back-to-back champion. Normally, athletes who linger in their respective sports do not receive the fairytale ending they were promised as children.

As players have started to announce whether they will participate in the World Baseball Classic, while sifting through old essays for follow-up, I noticed something I had written about Clayton Kershaw two years ago.

If Kershaw wants to play in the WBC, now is the time.​

Kershaw was stymied from participating in 2023’s World Baseball Classic due to an insurance issue. Namely, due to his injury history, no one would insure Kershaw’s contract in the unfortunate circumstances of new-Dodger Edwin Diaz back in 2023.

With Kershaw’s retirement, the insurance problem is now moot. MLB player contracts are guaranteed and as a retired dad, Kershaw’s time is his own. While Kershaw is under no obligation to anyone apart from his family to do anything at the moment, if he wanted to call Manager Mark DeRosa and say, “Hey, I want to play baseball for my country,” now is the opportunity.

Granted, Kershaw has likely settled into Dad mode, helping his wife, Ellen, and embracing life at home with his family. That said, the Kershaws are expecting their fifth child in early 2026. No one would fault Kershaw for staying at home or enjoying retirement instead of playing for Team USA at the 2026 WBC.

Still, Kershaw was animated on the subject back in 2023:

“I’m not going to be able to play in the WBC. It’s super disappointing. We tried a lot of different things. All sides really tried to make it work,” Kershaw said Friday. “Nothing is wrong with me. It just didn’t work out. I really wanted to do it. I really wanted to be a part of that group. It was probably my last chance to get to do it, so I really wanted to do it, but it just didn’t work out for a number of reasons. Disappointing, but it’s okay. I’ll be ready for the season.”

The opportunity is likely there if he wants it.

Other Dodgers bowing in and out​

As has been reported elsewhere, Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto will play for Team Japan in the upcoming WBC, while Roki Sasaki will not participate. Will Smith will play for Team USA behind Cal Raleigh.

Whether Ohtani will embrace his Two-Way Player status or simply hit is probably the most significant question mark of the WBC. Dave Roberts has previously publicly discussed the discussion with the Associated Press:

“I don’t want to be dismissive of what it means to them representing their country,” Roberts said. “I know the organization doesn’t but I do think that the conversations need to be had, will be had, as far as what each individual is taking on and whatever role that they might be taking on and what potential costs there might be. … But you can’t debate the emotion, what a player might feel of this potential opportunity.”

Mookie Betts announced to Adin Ross on the Kick streaming platform that he would not participate under fear of pain of divorce in the upcoming WBC due to a likely schedule conflict with the birth of his third child. Why Mookie Betts and other ballplayers are interacting with someone like Ross is a larger question for another day.

BREAKING: Mookie Betts reveals he will not play for Team USA in the 2026 World Baseball Classic as the birth of his third child is expected around the same time

“She (Brianna Betts) said she’d divorce me if I wasn’t there.”

: Adin Ross/Kick pic.twitter.com/TaBGGdej7u

— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) December 18, 2025

Freddie Freeman’s status for Team Canada is in doubt, per Greg Hamilton and Ernie Whitt of Baseball Canada, as reported by Ben Nicholson-Smith.

Freddie Freeman wants to play for Canada at the WBC per Greg Hamilton & Ernie Whitt of Baseball Canada.

Freeman dealing with "a little bit of a health issue" after the wear and tear of a long season per Hamilton but "he does want to do it, he really wants to play."

— Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) December 9, 2025

Freeman is currently dealing with both the wear and tear of the successful championship defense and an undisclosed health issue. Freeman has played for Team Canada since the 2017 WBC tournament.

Last month, two weeks after the World Series, Kiké Hernández announced on his Instagram account that he underwent left elbow surgery, which would preclude his participation with Team Puerto Rico for the upcoming tournament.

“I played [until], basically, I felt like I couldn’t even hold the bat anymore,” Hernández said upon his return from the IL. “And I mean, it was kind of dumb on my end. But I’ve always felt that if I feel like I could play, I’m not going to go on the IL. By the time we went in for the MRI, it was a little too late.”

We will continue to monitor whether additional players (current or retired) opt to participate in the World Baseball Classic and will update accordingly.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/world-ba...participation-kershaw-betts-freeman-hernandez