3 fringe Dodgers who could be traded or let go ahead of 40-man roster deadline

November 2 is a busy day for baseball. Option decisions are due, 60-day ILs close, and 40-man rosters have to be trimmed. The Los Angeles Dodgers have it easier than most; after a wave of free agents hit the market, their 40-man roster stands at 33. Miraculously, they ended the season with just four players — all pitchers — on the 60-day IL.

The Dodgers could simply add them all back and call it a day, but they'll presumably want a little more wiggle room for offseason additions and to protect a couple of Rule 5 draft-eligible prospects.

These players could be at risk of a trade or a non-tender if the Dodgers are looking to free up some roster space.

3 fringe Dodgers decisions ahead of 40-man roster deadline

Bobby Miller, Dodgers pitcher

After a disastrous 2024 season, the Dodgers don't known what to do with Miller. They brought him back to the majors for all of five innings in 2025, and he gave up seven runs. But an almost full-time move to the bullpen in Triple-A this season offered some indication that there's still something salvageable there. He pitched 7⅓ innings in three appearances out of the bullpen in September, to the tune of a 3.68 ERA.

He might be fine to keep around as a depth option, but the Dodgers could also be doing him a favor by trading him to a team with a well-equipped pitching lab like the Tampa Bay Rays or Cleveland Guardians. His chances in LA are sure to remain few and far between, so the Dodgers may be better off clearing the roster space.

Eliezer Alfonzo, Dodgers catcher

The Dodgers are familiar with lacking catching depth, and Dalton Rushing won't be able to catch for nine months after an internal brace procedure. But carrying the trio of Will Smith, Hunter Feduccia, and Alfonzo onto next year's roster feels a bit excessive.

Alfonzo would be easy enough to cut from the roster. The Dodgers could then re-sign him to a minor league deal, keeping LA's catching depth intact but only turning to Alfonzo in case of emergency.

Hyeseong Kim, Dodgers infielder

Kim is becoming an annual conundrum for the Dodgers. It's clear that they're not sold on him, and although he's become something of a fan favorite, he might be better off going to a team that would actually use him during the regular season.

The Dodgers can afford to pay him $4 million a year just to keep him in Oklahoma City until they need a postseason pinch-runner, but that doesn't mean they should. A trade probably wouldn't bring back much to LA, but Andrew Friedman could easily find a taker for a young, speedy utility man with two club options in 2028 and 2029. Miguel Rojas and Kiké Hernández's departures could create more of a role for Kim, but the Dodgers seem mostly uninterested in playing him to that extent.

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