Dodgers fans will love former GM's predictions for offseason reunions

The Dodgers had eight players officially hit free agency when the window opened on Monday. Two of them, Kevin Kiermaier and Daniel Hudson, had already said that they'd be going out on a high note and retiring following the 2024 season. A few more may not have done enough this year to prove that they deserve to be on the roster in 2025 — Joe Kelly, Kiké Hernández — and the others' futures are more up in the air.

Mainly, LA will have to make decisions about Teoscar Hernández, Walker Buehler, and Jack Flaherty (Blake Treinen, also a free agent, seems most like a lock for a new contract).

The Dodgers extended the qualifying offer to Hernández on Monday, taking the first step toward expressing interest in keeping him next year, but declined to do so for Buehler, whose World Series heroics turned the developing narrative of him leaving in free agency on its head. Flaherty, who made his desire to stay very clear during the Dodgers' parade and celebration, might be a last priority for LA considering the 2025 rotation already looks loaded.

It's likely we won't hear news on Hernández and Buehler's futures for a little while, but Jim Bowden had some hyper-specific predictions for both of them, under the general assumption that the Dodgers would re-sign both (subscription required).

For Hernández, he predicted three years and $75 million, and for Buehler, two years with a club option for a third, at $12 million a year with incentives.

Jim Bowden predicts Dodgers will re-sign Teoscar Hernández, Walker Buehler in free agency

Unless the Dodgers really will be all-in on the Juan Soto sweepstakes, Hernández feels like a lock for them to re-sign. Three years and $75 million isn't a bad prediction, either — we predicted four years and $100 million for Hernández when projecting a potential contract. It might not be a great look for the Dodgers if they wait to sign him while actively chasing Soto, but he could still be amenable, given how eager he's seemed to stay in LA.

Buehler will be more of a conundrum for the Dodgers. Although recency bias makes it seem like the Dodgers would be inclined to keep him, the rotation situation already looks crowded without him in the mix. If Roki Sasaki is indeed posted to MLB this year and the Dodgers grab him, that could edge Buehler out entirely.

Fans would love to see both come back for the 2025 season, so it'd be great to see Bowden get this one right. Still, it'll be a long offseason, and things could come down to the wire on both decisions.