9 Dodgers players who may have lost their roster spot this offseason

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After finalizing the contracts of Joe Kelly and Shohei Ohtani on Monday, the Los Angeles Dodgers traded reliever Victor Gonzalez and prospect Jorbit Vivas to the Yankees for prospect Trey Sweeney, who they then sent to Double-A in order to clear room on the 40-man. When all was said and done, the Dodgers added Ohtani and Kelly to once again fill the roster.

This was not surprising when you consider the players who had to go in order to accommodate the likes of Ohtani. The Dodgers don't look like they're finished, either. A meeting between the team and Yoshinobu Yamamoto took place on Wednesday, there's a rumored Tyler Glasnow trade in the works, and Corbin Burnes/Willy Adames apparently aren't off the table just yet. Even if any or all of those transactions fall through, the fact is that the Dodgers still need pitching, so they're going to need to clear a few more players from their 40-man roster.

Now that things are rolling a little this offseason, perhaps a direct result of the Dodgers finally locking up Ohtani, we can expect a cascade of moves within the coming weeks, which will force some players out of the Dodgers organization.

Here are the Dodgers players whose roster spots are in jeopardy going into 2024

Caleb Ferguson

Reliever Caleb Ferguson's name was in the trade mix before Victor Gonzalez was dealt to the Yankees, so he might not be long for the Dodgers organization when they start looking for spots to open up again. Ferguson is a lifelong Dodger, having been selected by them in the 38th round of the 2014 draft, and he's managed to do solid work for them in his five years in the major leagues. In 2023, he pitched 60 innings in a season for the first time in his career and finished with a 3.43 ERA. This is objectively fine, but the team probably expected more from him coming off of a 34-inning, 1.82 ERA showing in 2022 after Tommy John.

It seems unlikely the team would release him outright when he's doing serviceable work in the major leagues. Instead, it's more realistic they trade him away and get something in return. They can clear a roster spot, upgrade the bullpen or rotation, and be on their way.

Miguel Rojas

Given Gavin Lux's recovery, not to mention looming threats of an Adames arrival from the Brewers, Miguel Rojas' name is undoubtedly on the chopping block this offseason. He took over at shortstop this year after Lux went down with an ACL tear and played in 124 games. He was a fine defensive shortstop, but he only batted .236/.290/.322 with 31 RBI, and he'll be 35 years old by the time the 2024 season kicks off.

The Dodgers have already guaranteed him $5 million in 2024 and they have a $5 million club option for 2025, but it's unlikely that they'll keep Rojas long enough to make a decision on that option. Instead, he could be a DFA candidate (we're not sure who would trade for that contract), which would be the easiest way to clear him off the roster given his age and his declining performance. Besides, $5 million is a drop in the bucket to the Dodgers. They can hope somebody claims him and picks up the rest of his money, but we wouldn't bet on it.

Gus Varland

Gus Varland has only spent parts of one season in the major leagues after four and change in the minors, but it doesn't look very promising that he'll stick around for much longer. He's been tossed between the Dodgers and Brewers organizations both in the minors and majors. After being selected by the A's in the 2018 MLB Draft, he was traded to the Dodgers, then picked up by the Brewers in the 2022 Rule 5 Draft, then was DFA'd in May, and returned to the Dodgers. He only pitched 20.1 innings with both teams and finished the year with a pretty miserable 6.64 ERA (and then knee inflammation that landed him on the 60-day IL).

Varland should be a very easy candidate for the Dodgers to shuck off the roster. He seemed to settle a bit with the Dodgers' Triple-A squad before he was called up in August, pitching 33.1 innings and logging a 2.16 ERA with an impressive 10.53 K/9. But that doesn't mean he's deserving of occupying a 40-man spot from now until the end of the 2024 season.

Michael Grove

Like Varland, Michael Grove finished out the year with an ERA over 6.00, but he saw more than three times the amount of innings Varland did at the MLB level. Grove, another young pitcher who has gone between the majors and minors over the past two years, had an OK first year in the major leagues in 2022, logging a 4.60 ERA over 29.1 innings. He started 2023 in the minors and then had a sort of dizzying back-and-forth between LA and Oklahoma City with injuries that sent him on rehab assignments. His longest stretch in the majors took place between June and July. He also got two innings of work in the postseason during the NLDS and gave up a home run to Alek Thomas after a 14-pitch at-bat.

Grove has earned the right to be a depth option for the Dodgers, whether it's as a spot starter or long relief option, but it wouldn't be surprising if he's sent away as part of a larger trade package that brings in an upgrade.

Michael Busch

The Dodgers' No. 2 prospect Michael Busch appeared in 26 games in the major leagues this year in a utility capacity. He was mostly used at third base, but also spent eight games at DH, some at first and second, and one in left field. He's shown real proficiency in the minors, capturing the 2023 Minor League Player of the Year award after hitting .323/.431/.618 with 27 home runs and 90 RBI. Unfortunately, that kind of production didn't carry over the majors, where he hit .167/.247/.292 and logged a -4 OAA at third base.

It could be that Busch, after getting a peek at the major league level, just needs more time to make the transition over. He's someone who can be utilized if given the proper amount of run ... but he's also someone who can easily be traded because he still possesses value after his success at Triple-A OKC.

Ryan Pepiot/Jonny Deluca

Fans across the game have been hearing Ryan Pepiot and Jonny Deluca's names more often than ever before this week, as it's been reported that they could be involved in a trade with the Rays that would see Tyler Glasnow and Manuel Margot come to LA. Pepiot has pitched 78.1 major league innings over two seasons and has maintained a 2.76 ERA. Deluca played in 24 games this past year, hitting .262/.311/.429. These are good numbers from both of these players, especially given their level of experience, but a two-to-two trade for Glasnow and Margot would definitely be an appropriate use of their value.

The Rays don't like to spend money, they're clearly looking to turn Glasnow's $25 million salary for 2024 into controllable assets. Margot isn't cheap either; he's owed $10 million and has a mutual option for $12 million next year. Pepiot and Deluca show a lot of promise and are still years away from being arbitration-eligible, which is definitely a draw for Tampa Bay.

Gavin Stone

Another top prospect for the Dodgers, Gavin Stone also had a rough go of things through eight games in the majors leagues. Stone threw 31 innings and was good for a 9.00 ERA. In his first three appearances, all starts, he gave up 16 earned runs and only struck out five batters before being sent down again. He didn't reappear in the majors until July 4, when he only gave up one earned run over two innings. His last four appearances weren't much better, but he was able to pitch deep into a few games and got his first win in a six-inning relief showing against the Red Sox.

His minor league numbers in 2022 were stellar — he finished the year with a sub-1.50 ERA — which led him to rocket up from High-A to Triple-A in just one season (and contributed to his call up in 2023). However, he struggled in the minors this year, logging a 4.74 ERA over 100.2 innings. Even at the big-league level, he's clearly capable of pitching well and holding the line when he's on, but it's clear that he still needs some more time to develop.

Bryan Hudson

There's not much to say about Bryan Hudson, who only pitched 8.2 innings this year (and finished with a 7.27 ERA), but he seems like another easy candidate for a DFA or trade. In his first appearance in mid-June, he gave up three earned runs over two innings. His last three, which took place in quick succession over the last week of August, were better, with only two earned runs over three innings of work. He's another arm who could be kept in reserve in the minors and brought up sporadically the same way he did this year if he clears waivers, but for now he's taking up a spot that the Dodgers probably want to give to someone else.

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