The Los Angeles Dodgers have invested a lot of money in the stars of their team. Last season they awarded $700 million to Shohei Ohtani and over $300 million to Yoshinobu Yamamoto. They have committed more than $30 million per year to both Mookie Betts and Tyler Glasnow, while paying other top stars a fair chunk of change as well.

This is the biggest reason the Dodgers have gotten this far this season. Their payroll is incredible and the revenue they bring in is just as incredible. But when you pay the stars of the team so much money, the role players sometimes get forgotten and overlooked.

For the Dodgers, there are several upcoming free agents who have played well above their pay grades this year. With these players entering free agency in the coming months, they could price themselves out of Los Angeles.

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The Dodgers have utilityman Kike Hernandez under contract through the 2024 season for just $4 million. This year alone, he played well above that salary in the postseason. During the regular season, Hernandez wasn’t great offensively, but his defensive versatility and excellence still managed to keep his WAR above 1.0. Still, the utility man slashed .229/.281/.373 with an OPS+ of 85 during the regular season.

However, his postseason production was far from below average.

While Hernandez’s bat offers the same defensive versatility and excellence, it has also come to life. In 11 postseason games, Hernandez is hitting .282/.349/.487 with two home runs, five RBIs and a triple.

His defensive capabilities alone are worth over $4 million. Combine that with his excellent postseason play and you have a player who will get a decent raise this winter.

The Dodgers will want to use a franchise shortstop this season. Coupled with the fact that Hernandez’s price tag is growing by the day, it seems like he has priced himself out of Los Angeles. This will be especially true if the Dodgers are aggressive in their efforts to sign shortstop Willy Adames from the Milwaukee Brewers.

If you had to name a breakout player in the Los Angeles Dodgers bullpen, it would be right-handed pitcher Blake Treinen, who has looked almost untouchable at times. Treinen wasn’t the club’s closer during the regular season, but he stepped up in that role during the postseason and it was excellent. Sure, he’s played well over the $1 million mark on his contract.

During the regular season, Treinen threw 46.2 innings with a sub-2.00 ERA and a sub-1.00 WHIP. His production stood out all season as one of the Dodgers’ high-leverage relievers. But when the postseason arrived, Treinen did not succumb to the pressure. Instead, he has risen to the occasion and taken over as the closer. In eight postseason outings, Treinen was scoreless in five of them, without allowing more than one earned run in a single outing. He’s been tasked with throwing more than just three outs and he’s done a great job.

Based on his play this year, Treinen should get a decent payday this season. Based on the way the Dodgers have paid their stars and traded for bullpen arms, it’s hard to imagine Los Angeles will be willing to give Treinen the money he gets from another team. His production this year could essentially drive him out of Los Angeles this winter.

The most obvious player on this list will be the rental starting pitcher the Dodgers acquired at the trade deadline, Jack Flaherty. Flaherty is tied to a one-year, $14 million contract he signed with the Detroit Tigers last offseason. Flaherty has played so well this season that he is looking for a three- or four-year contract worth over $17 million AAV.

During the season, Flaherty threw 162 innings with a 3.17 ERA, 3.48 FIP and 1.07 WHIP. He struck out more than one batter per inning, while walking just 2.1 batters per nine innings. While the Dodgers rotation has been injured and exhausted all season, Flaherty has stepped up for Dave Roberts and company. This is no more true than in the postseason, where Flaherty defeated Gerrit Cole and the Yankees in Game 1 of the World Series.

He has seen mixed results during the postseason. He gave up 12 earned runs in two of his starts. But he also has the 5.1 innings of two earned baseball runs in the World Series. Aside from the disastrous start against the Mets, Flaherty has been excellent. It will be difficult for the Dodgers to bring him back. Considering the number of pitchers they want to bring back in 2025, I’d bet the Dodgers won’t have a problem losing Flaherty in free agency.