Dodgers: 3 players who definitely won’t be back in 2022

The Los Angeles Dodgers’ 2021 season ended with a thud. They had the highest of expectations coming into this year and, somehow, so many things went wrong once October arrived.

From Clayton Kershaw and Max Muncy going down right before the postseason, to Justin Turner’s poor play then injury exit during the NLCS, to Trevor Bauer and Dustin May missing more than half the year, to the San Francisco Giants coming out of nowhere to win 107 games, the Dodgers did their best to keep pace, but it wasn’t enough.

The offense inexplicably went silent when it mattered most, and that ended up being the difference given how good the pitching and defense were.

And finally, now with the season over, the burning offseason questions the Dodgers were able to ignore by winning 106 games are going to engulf the front office. Guys like Kershaw, Max Scherzer, Kenley Jansen, Corey Seager, Chris Taylor, and others will hit free agency. What’s the plan with Cody Bellinger? Trea Turner? Joe Kelly?

Time to explore and predict what might happen with some key names.

These three Dodgers definitely won’t be back with the team in 2022.

3. Jimmy Nelson

The Dodgers poached two pitchers formerly of the Brewers this offseason in Jimmy Nelson and Corey Knebel. And both worked out particularly well…

…until Nelson suffered an elbow injury and was forced to undergo Tommy John surgery in August. The Dodgers signed him to a minor-league contract and he ended up making the roster, posting a 1.86 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 44 strikeouts in 29 total innings. Really productive!

But he likely won’t pitch in 2022 after his latest procedure and it’s hard to envision the Dodgers taking another chance on Nelson, who’s been held back by injures almost his entire career. Entering his age-33 season, in which he might not even play, coming off Tommy John surgery?

Nelson played a helpful role in a crowded Dodgers bullpen this year, but he won’t be part of this team once he hits free agency in November. And even if LA opts to re-sign him, he won’t be “back” until 2023, in the likeliest scenario.

1. Corey Seager

Call it a hot take, but do you see the Dodgers breaking the bank for Seager, who fell flat on his face in the 2021 postseason and was once again held back by injuries? Since his first full season back in 2016, the 27-year-old has appeared in 609 out of a possible 870 games.

We’re aware he was the NLCS and World Series MVP back in 2020, but Seager is a client of Scott Boras. The shortstop will not be taking any sort of discount … and we think the Dodgers made that somewhat clear when they acquired Trea Turner at the trade deadline.

And if they can’t get off Bauer’s contract, it’s hard to believe they’ll pay close to $30 million per season for Seager when they also have to figure out what to do with Kershaw, Scherzer, Taylor, Jansen, Kelly, Corey Knebel and Albert Pujols.

After all, though Seager is beloved by the fans, the Dodgers won 106 games when he missed 67 this year. They won 92 and the division when he played in only 26 games back in 2018. We’re not saying Seager isn’t integral to this team achieving its ceiling … we’re just saying the Dodgers have been just fine making do.

Toss Turner at shortstop, put Lux at second, and bring back Taylor, which will help out with the infield versatility should something happen. Don’t forget, Seager’s “projected” to likely make a move to third base within the next few years. That might be in the cards in LA, especially with Justin Turner’s career coinciding with that timeline, but, again, with others to prioritize, we feel Seager might be enticed by an opportunity elsewhere should somebody offer more money, while the Dodgers might not want to get into a bidding war and shell out another mammoth contract to someone who’s had trouble staying on the field and may not be a shortstop for the remainder of his career.

Whenever players of Seager’s caliber hit the open market, it’s not a good sign for the incumbent team. As a Boras client, the likelihood of an extension was never high, but the best chance of it happening was with a team like the Dodgers, who print money and seemingly have unlimited resources.

Brace for the worst. Seager will not be a Dodger in 2022.

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