4 former Dodgers that could return to LA this winter

Kenta Maeda

Similar to Ryu, Maeda wasn't an unforgettable Dodger, but he also wasn't irrelevant by any means. He pitched in 137 games across four seasons in LA and registered a 3.87 ERA and 1.15 WHIP before being dealt to the Twins in the aftermath of the Mookie Betts trade.

Maeda was a solid performance in the postseason out of the bullpen, too. But at this point in his career (entering his age-36 season), he'd be a pitching depth option for the Dodgers to ping pong between the rotation and bullpen. After a long layoff from Tommy John surgery, Maeda returned in 2023 to pitch in 21 games (20 starts) and finished with a 4.23 ERA and 1.17 WHIP. Totally solid.

And totally something the Dodgers pitching staff needs. They have a decent amount of these kinds of options in prospect/rookie/inexperienced form, but there comes a point where that isn't tenable. Michael Grove, Gavin Stone, Emmet Sheehan and Ryan Pepiot likely can't be the first line of defense. Maybe one or two of them can be in that pack, but not all four.

Maeda returning to LA would help preserve the bullpen with multi-inning relief appearances and help assist a tired starting rotation as the grueling 162-game season progresses. The Dodgers have fallen victim to pitching injuries like crazy for three years. It's time to get worthwhile insurance.