3 Dodgers World Series Champions Who Won't Be Back in 2025 and Why

The Los Angeles Dodgers have spent a lot of their money signing players like Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Will Smith and Yoshinobu Yamamoto for the next five, six or seven years. While that helped them win a World Series, now comes the hard part – repeating. They will also be one of the more aggressive teams in free agency, looking to add another big superstar or two this offseason while also bringing back players like Teoscar Hernandez.

With so much money going to some of the game's best players, there simply won't be as much money for the rest of the roster. The Dodgers will add budget options, prospects and trade acquisitions to their roster.

With that in mind, it's time to take a look at three upcoming Dodgers free agents who won't be returning to the team in 2025.

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These three players are all on this list for different reasons. The top player on this list will be very different from this player.

Jordan Lyles will not be back with the Dodgers next season as he has been far from competitive all season and hasn't been for quite some time. Lyles played with the Kansas City Royals in 2023 and 2024, where he was absolutely great. The Royals eventually released him and he eventually signed a minor league contract with the Dodgers.

During his time with the Dodgers, Lyles was a poor minor league pitcher, posting a 6.46 ERA in four starts and 15.1 innings with the Triple-A Los Angeles team. He just wasn't good. Not as a major league arm and not as a minor league arm. The Dodgers signed him to a minor league deal to keep the veteran in check. Their rotation has been devastated by injuries all season. So if Lyles had performed well, he might have had a chance to pitch in the big leagues with the Dodgers.

It's a boring choice, but it's obvious. Jordan Lyles played five games in the Dodgers' minor league system and will not be recalled in 2025.

Okay, the second player on this list is going to be a legit major league player. One who spent five years in a Dodgers uniform and pitched nearly 150 innings with the team. It's veteran reliever Joe Kelly who will enter free agency at the end of the Dodgers' season.

Kelly, 36, spent 2019, 2020, 2021, half of 2023 and 2024 with the Dodgers and was a solid bullpen player for them in three of those five seasons. Unfortunately, the 2024 season was one of his worst years overall in a Dodgers uniform. He posted an ERA near 5.00 and a WHIP near 1.50. In 2024, he struck out 4.5 hitters per nine innings in 32 major league innings.

Kelly hasn't had a solid, full season with the Dodgers since 2021. His consistency and reliability are simply no longer there and the Dodgers will stop giving him opportunities if he doesn't repay their investment in him.

Ultimately, the Dodgers will look to build a bullpen full of stars, whether through free agency or a few offseason trades. Veteran righty Joe Kelly likely won't be part of the Dodgers' 2025 roster.

The final player on this list who won't be back in 2025 is trade dead acquisition turned playoff ace Jack Flaherty.

Now you may be wondering why Flaherty is on this list. He was good with the Dodgers. He seems to be very popular in the clubhouse. They are the Los Angeles Dodgers, so they would have the money to bring him back.

So let me explain my reasons why I don't think he's a Dodger in 2025.

Ohtani, Yamamoto, Glasnow, Kershaw, Gavin Stone, Nick Frasso, Landon Knack, Justin Wrobleski and Bobby Miller are all on the 40-man roster and have the potential to find their way into the starting lineup next year. Not included are Emmet Sheehan and River Ryan, who both underwent Tommy John surgery this season.

Now I understand that not all of these pitchers will pan out, but the Dodgers have a chance to acquire a slightly cheaper pitcher in free agency or at the trade deadline if they end up getting desperate again. With so many high-end free agents signing this offseason, I just can't imagine the Dodgers spending $20-$25 million per year to bring Flaherty back to Los Angeles.

Maybe I'm wrong, but if nothing changes, I would imagine Flaherty will end up with the highest bidder in a different jersey this offseason.