5 Dodgers whose futures depend on promising postseason performances

As the Los Angeles Dodgers await the winner of the Milwaukee Brewers-Arizona Diamondbacks Wild Card Series, a number of futures hang in the balance on this roster. We probably have a good idea of who will be gone come 2024, but as we know, postseason performance can always shift the conversation.

It's clear Andrew Friedman and the front office created enough financial flexibility to endure another blockbuster free agent signing, but that's far from a guarantee, meaning the Dodgers might have excess funds to spend when the offseason arrives.

The 2023 squad has been an admirable one. They notched 100 wins for the fourth straight full MLB season (obviously skipping 2020), which made history. They managed to pull it off despite having the second-worst bullpen in the league during the first half of action. They managed to pull it off despite losing Gavin Lux, Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May, Daniel Hudson, Blake Treinen and others to season-ending injuries.

A number of players have filled in to varying degrees of success, but some still have plenty to prove in October if they want a future in LA (or hope to up their value in free agency when the time comes). Who might that be?

5 Dodgers whose futures depend on promising postseason performance

Joe Kelly

Kelly is a beloved Dodger and, despite only pitching in 11 games with the team since the trade deadline due to a forearm/elbow issue, he still remains an important piece in the bullpen. That remains true for 2023 and could very well be the case for 2024.

His contract calls for a $9.5 million team option, but it's unclear where LA stands on that. It's pricey, but the Dodgers also need arms for 2024. If Kelly can further prove his arm issues are in the rearview with a lengthy run of form in the postseason, the Dodgers might not even think twice about extending his stay in southern California. Plain and simple.

Kiké Hernández

Another Dodgers fan favorite! Kiké lives for the postseason, as evidenced by his .269 average, .900 OPS, 26 runs scored, 13 homers and 27 RBI in 69 career October games. Teams will value that in every way imaginable come free agency, especially the Dodgers, who far too often have key players flame out when the stage is biggest.

Whether it's the Dodgers or another team, though, Hernández will be viewed through that lens this postseason. He's had back-to-back poor/underwhelming seasons and didn't have 2022 to shine in October. He really needs a few more patented clutch Kiké moments this time around to convince the Dodgers to retain him as a role player or coerce another team into utilizing him as a starter.

Hernández will get another crack at free agency entering his age-32 season, which will essentially represent his last and best chance at another lucrative multi-year contract (or a comfy future with the Dodgers, a team that has maximized his talents in superior fashion). These playoffs are all-important for him no matter how many reps he gets.

Lance Lynn

We're not sure what's going on with Lance Lynn's playoff role, but we sure do know whatever he does will need to be convincing if the Dodgers are to pick up his $18.5 million option for the 2024 season. Lynn's been both great and horrific for LA, and that mixed bag of results isn't going to guarantee him that much money, no matter how much flexibility Friedman has.

Dave Roberts says he views Lynn as a starter right now, and we'd most certainly agree. The Yankees tried to use him as a reliever in the postseason a few years back and, well, you don't want to know the results. The baseball world has seen Lynn at his best, and it's when he's in the rotation.

Also, to justify that salary, he'll need to be starting games. Gone are the days smart teams invest huge salaries in closers or high-leverage relievers. If his option is picked up in 2024, it's because he'll be a member of the rotation for the duration of the season.

But there's little room for error. One patented blowup outing kickstarted by a barrage of home runs, and Lynn is toast. Three quality outings in the NLDS and NLCS, though? That redefines his future, and will likely keep him on the best team of the last decade for one more year.

And even if the Dodgers pass and opt to go for bigger and better pitchers and decline his option, Lynn will need to position himself for another year on the open market.

Clayton Kershaw

Clayton Kershaw simply hasn't proven himself since he's arrived in MLB and needs a successful postseason run to justify his next contract. KIDDING!

But Kershaw did say his future in baseball hinges on the health of his left shoulder. And he told everyone this past offseason he almost decided to sign with the Texas Rangers to be closer to home. Health and individual performance seem to hold a lot of weight here.

Kershaw continues to remain cryptic about his future despite the fact he's starting Game 1 of the NLDS while not 100% healthy. He's also 56 strikeouts shy of 3,000. He can't possibly retire or achieve that milestone in another uniform, can he?

Unless the whole game of cat and mouse with him and the Rangers has been fake all along, Kershaw is probably coming back to the Dodgers for one more season to finish out a storied career. But we must err on the side of caution because of how guarded he's been, coupled with the fact he's dealing with yet another injury with his age-36 season on the horizon. Time and time again, he's reiterated the importance of team success over individual accolades, so we can't be etching his return in stone if he stumbles in October because of his shoulder problem.