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.

2. Trevor Bauer

Trevor Bauer has returned to social media, but you can bet that’ll be the greatest extent to which you hear or see from the pitcher again. ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan talked to over 20 executives and players, both current and former, all of whom indicated we’ll never see Bauer play in Major League Baseball ever again.

The Dodgers played their part too in doing away with Bauer, even though they hesitated in keeping him off the field when the heinous sexual assault allegations broke back in late June. Shortly after that, he was placed on administrative leave, had all of his merchandise pulled from the Dodgers’ official team stores, and was removed from the team’s promotional calendar six weeks before he was supposed to have his bobblehead night.

The organization made it a point to swiftly erase Bauer during the 2021 season to keep the distractions at a minimum and it’s safe to say they succeeded. Bauer was a mere footnote on the Dodgers’ year as a whole, which is insane because all of this happened just three months ago. It feels like it’s been over a year.

Once we learn more about the findings of the Pasadena Police Department’s investigation, it’s possible the Dodgers may be able to terminate Bauer’s contract and fully be rid of him once and for all. If not, however, we’re sure the organization will eat his salary for the next couple years and be totally content with him never stepping foot on the field again … because that would be a PR disaster. Did you not see how much of a disaster it was when the team was considering pitching him on July 4 against the Nationals a few days after the allegations came to light?

Bauer was accused of sexual assault by a second woman who stepped forward a few months ago, which allegedly occurred in Ohio during his 2020 season with the Cincinnati Reds. At best, Bauer will be on the 2022 payroll due to some nonsense technicalities that don’t allow the team to void his contract.

But he will not be pitching or coming anywhere near the Dodgers in 2022.