2 players Dodgers will regret getting rid of during 2024 season

Every season is filled with regret. It doesn't matter whether you're a perceived champion or an also ran; there are always some crucial decisions that didn't fall in favor. The Dodgers are especially included in that bucket, considering the roller coaster season this team has been on.

The Dodgers lead the NL West with one of the game's best records, but although they appear to be in a good spot, there are plenty of decisions and regrets that were better left undone ahead of the playoffs. Behind a bevy of injuries and unsuccessful players, Los Angeles will enter October without two particular players that they will regret letting go of this year.

LA Dodgers could use a guy like Ryan Yarbrough

The Dodgers have been destroyed by pitching injuries this season. Gavin Stone, Tyler Glasnow, Clayton Kershaw and Dustin May have all been sidelined for the rest of the season, leaving a shaky rotation for the Dodgers moving forward. Bobby Miller hasn't been anywhere close to where he was expected to be production-wise, too, leaving the Dodgers looking a bit embarrassed for allowing Yarbrough to go.

Yarbrough was traded to the Blue Jays in exchange for Kevin Kiermaier, who is batting .167 in 27 games with Los Angeles. Was Yarbough a perfect Dodger? Of course not, but he is a versatile pitcher who can give you a spot start or solid innings out of the bullpen. He had a 3.74 ERA with the Dodgers in 67 1/3 innings this season, including 24 appearances that saw more than three outs recorded.

He is fitting in nicely in Toronto, donning a 2.49 ERA in 21 2/3 frames with a 0.831 WHIP. Yarbrough would have been a nice option for the Dodgers in a postseason game when a starter runs into early trouble.

LA Dodgers should have held on to Jason Heyward

The Dodgers DFA'd Jason Heyward at the end of August, resulting in the Astros scooping him up. Heyward was not an All-Star bat in Los Angeles by any means, but his offensive metrics are all better than what Kiermaier has produced. Heyward's also seen a nice turnaround at the plate in Houston, registering an .813 OPS in 15 contests. He's also riding a four-game hitting streak, which includes two home runs. Kiermaier is 0-for-his-last-17 at the plate and hasn't pieced a hitting streak longer than two games in Los Angeles.

Kiermaier has been a tad better than Heyward in the outfield, nabbing eight defensive runs saved to Heyward's four, but that difference isn't enough to justify swapping these two players out while also losing Yarbrough. Heyward is a World Series champion and Freddie Freeman cohort, and the Dodgers could use some leadership and experience in the postseason after another veteran was lost to injury.