Kelly’s Comeback: Dodgers Free Agent Eyes Return to…
MLB free agency period began the morning of Oct. 31 for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the 29 other teams across the league. The Dodgers officially had eight free agents of their own, including Joe Kelly who just completed his fifth season with the team.
With the five-day period for teams to exclusively negotiate with their own free agents ending at 2 p.m. PT on Monday, players are now able to sign with whichever team they choose.
After putting up a 4.78 ERA in 32 innings this past season, it is unlikely that Kelly will have a huge market during free agency. He may also not be a very high priority for the Dodgers to bring back for the 2025 season.
The Dodgers have already seen two players call it a career after winning the World Series, with Daniel Hudson and Kevin Kiermaier formally announcing their retirements.
But Kelly will not be a the third as he stated his intent to continue playing next season during an appearance on the “Baseball Isn’t Boring” podcast with host Rob Bradford:
“I’m going to give myself another chance to play.”
Kelly was a candidate to make the National League Division Series roster, but a right shoulder injury suffered during workouts in the lead-up to the start of the playoffs prevented his inclusion. Kelly then was not active for the NL Championship Series or World Series.
Across 13 seasons in MLB, Kelly has a 3.98 ERA with 767 strikeouts and a 1.37 WHIP in 839 innings. After beginning his career in a hybrid role as a starter and long reliever with the St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox, he transitioned into a full-time reliever in 2016.
Joe Kelly’s Dodgers career
Kelly joined the Dodgers in 2019 after signing a three-year, $27 million contract. He made 115 regular season appearances for the Dodgers over the life of that contract, and his best season during that stretch came in 2021 when he had a 2.86 ERA while throwing 44 innings.
Kelly signed a two-year, $17 million contract with the Chicago White Sox and spent the entire 2022 season and half of 2023 with them before returning to the Dodgers via trade.
