Dodgers who may have played their last game in Los Angeles

With the uncertainty surrounding the 2020 season, there are several players who might have played their last game as Dodgers without even knowing it.

As the novel coronavirus continues to spread across the country, and public health officials work tirelessly to curb its impact, the 2020 baseball season seems forever away, if it will come at all.

A canceled season would have wide-ranging impacts on players, team personnel, stadium workers, and fans, alike. It could also mark the premature end of several Dodgers players careers in Los Angeles.

An agreement between Major League Baseball and the Players Association ensures players will receive service time in 2020 even if a season is erased. In the worst case scenario, with zero games played, players who were active during the 2019 season will receive their requisite service time for a canceled 2020 season.

This means players in the final year of their contract with the Dodgers are at risk of hitting the 2021 free agent market without receiving a proper farewell at Dodger Stadium.

It also means players who are progressing through their arbitration seasons or through long-term contracts will accumulate either a full or pro-rated year of service, depending on how much they played in 2019. Obviously, player salary would be impacted by the cancelation of the season, as well.

This article focuses on the unfortunate reality that could mean several players have already played their final game at Dodger Stadium. In the event of a canceled season, here are the list of Dodgers who could be saying good-bye.

Justin Turner

What a ride it has been for Justin Turner, the Long Beach native, who left the Mets as a utility infielder perhaps most known for his red hair, and then came to the Dodgers to blossom into one of the premier hitting infielders in the National League. People might still be surprised to learn that Turner currently has the 22nd highest active batting average in baseball.

The third baseman has become engrained in the Los Angeles community through his charity work. Both on and off the field, he represents a big part of the personality that makes up one of the most successful Dodgers runs in franchise history (World Series title, or not).

Turner is set to earn $20 million in the final year of his four-year, $64 million contract that he signed before the 2017 season. He has produced 14.6 wins above replacement (per Baseball Reference method) over his first three seasons. With the cost of a win estimated to be ~$9.1 million last winter, Turner has more than justified his pay with the Dodgers.

It would be unfortunate to see his contract run out over a canceled season, although you would think the local product would be interested in returning on a new deal.

Joc Pederson

Joc Pederson was almost an ex-Dodger before Spring Training even began. After a deal fell through that would have sent him to Anaheim, the 27-year-old outfielder is still in Los Angeles, ready to roam left field next to Cody Bellinger and Mookie Betts.

Set to play a platoon role against righties, Pederson is in the final year of his arbitration eligibility, needing only one more year of service to qualify for free agency. If the season is canceled, he would become a free agent off a strong 2019 season, as a left-handed hitter with power who will be looking for a long-term deal.

With Chris Taylor and A.J. Pollock signed long-term in LA, it would seem unlikely that Pederson returns to the Dodgers, unless Taylor or Pollock are moved, or something falls apart elsewhere in the outfield.

Pederson was drafted by the Dodgers in 2010, becoming a top prospect in their system, progressing up the ranks and accumulating 705 major league games played over six seasons, appearing in an All-Star game in 2015, and proving to be a clutch performer with a series to remember against the Astros in the 2017 World Series.

Enrique Hernandez

A super-utility man who can play all over the field, Dodgers fans will always remember Enrique Hernandez, or Kike, for his performance in the 2017 National League Championship Series. In Game 5, he hit an NLCS record three home runs, including a grand slam, to put the Dodgers in the World Series for the first time since 1988.

Having accumulated five years of service, Hernandez will be eligible for free agency after this season. He is due to make $5.9 million in 2020. It’s debatable whether the Dodgers would look to bring him back, after a shortened season or not one at all.

With Matt Beaty offering similar versatility, although left-handed, an awkward fit to balance a lefty-heavy lineup, he is younger, and under team control for five more years. He is a more cost effective utility player than Hernandez, and the team can always find another right-handed bat to come off the bench.

In five years with the Dodgers, Hernandez slashed .240/.316/.427, adding up to an OPS around league average. He is another long-tenured Dodger who could have played his last game in Los Angeles without knowing it.

Mookie Betts

This is a player whose final game as a Dodger might have come in Spring Training.

Dodgers fans worst nightmare is to see the 2020 season come and go without having Mookie Betts record even one official at-bat in a Dodgers uniform. After a complicated trade brought the superstar outfielder to Los Angeles, along with David Price, it’s possible the Dodgers could have forfeited Alex Verdugo and two prospects (Jeter Downs and Connor Wong) for nothing.

Betts is set to become a free agent after this season, whether games are played or not. The Dodgers are clearly one of the favorites to sign him to a long-term deal, blessed with deep pockets, plenty of luxury tax breathing room, and added incentive to make him a Dodger for life. However, nothing is guaranteed once you get to the negotiation table.

The Red Sox traded Betts after deciding he could prove too expensive for their luxury tax tastes. Many believe Betts could fetch over $400 million contract this winter. However, market conditions have dramatically changed due to revenue lost as a result of the coronavirus.

For a variety of reasons, a canceled season poses a risk to the Dodgers of losing Betts without the benefit of him playing a regular season game for them.

Blake Treinen, Alex Wood, and Jimmy Nelson

These three players are grouped together because they represent one-year deals that could turn into zero-year deals if the 2020 season is canceled. Only Alex Wood has actually pitched for the Dodgers, before spending one season in Cincinnati with the Reds.

Jimmy Nelson signed with the Dodgers under terms that already seem to half-expect him not to make the team. He missed the entire 2018 season due to shoulder surgery, and was hampered again with injuries in 2019. The right-handed reliever suffered an early injury in Dodgers camp and was shutdown due to groin discomfort. His 2020 contract is filled with incentives for him to remain healthy. But don’t be surprised if he doesn’t stick around long, no matter what happens with the season.

Blake Treinen signed a one-year $10 million “bounce-back candidate” contract over the offseason. After an unbelievable season in 2018 for the Oakland Athletics when he received a few MVP votes for his performance on the mound, he struggled mightily in 2019. The Dodgers are hoping the 31-year-old can at least return to the form he was between 2015-2017 when he was a reliable bullpen arm. A canceled 2020 season could change the market forces that fetched Treinen a lucrative one-year deal despite his poor performance in 2019.

Dodgers fans know Alex Wood. After losing Hyun-Jin Ryu and Rich Hill to free agency, and Kenta Maeda being sent to Minnesota in a trade, Andrew Friedman decided to bring back Wood to restock the rotation. Plagued by injuries throughout his career, and particularly in 2019, the left-hander is hoping for a resurrection in Chavez Ravine. It would be unfortunate if his chance with the Dodgers is cut short because of a canceled season ultimately changing the roster dynamics down the road.