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Chris Taylor’s return and the MLB lockout moved to the front of the news cycle on Wednesday, but circling back to another Dodgers transaction this week reveals a growing trend.
Daniel Hudson’s one-year contract with the Dodgers guarantees him $7 million, and that’s how he will be counted for 2022 competitive balance tax purposes, at least in the way it’s been calculated in previous collective bargaining agreements. But the devil is in the details, and Hudson’s deal includes a club option for 2023. Associated Press has more details:
He gets a $6 million salary next season, and the Dodgers have a $6.5 million option for 2023 with a $1 million buyout. Hudson’s 2023 base can increase by $500,000 for games finished next year: $100,000 each for 30, 35, 40, 45 and 50.
Should the Dodgers exercise Hudson’s option, it becomes a two-year, $12.5 million contract, and would be $13 million in total should Hudson finish 50 games in 2022. The latter seems unlikely, since Hudson’s career high is 25 games finished, in 2019 for the Blue Jays and Nationals.
Six Dodgers currently have options for the 2023 season: club options for Max Muncy, Justin Turner, Blake Treinen, and Hudson; player options for AJ Pollock and Trevor Bauer.
Dodgers 2023 contract options
| Player | Pos | Option type | Base salary | Buyout |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Pos | Option type | Base salary | Buyout |
| Trevor Bauer | SP | Player | $32,000,000 | $15,000,000 |
| Justin Turner | 3B | Team | $16,000,000 | $2,000,000 |
| Max Muncy | 1B/2B | Team | $13,500,000 | $1,500,000 |
| AJ Pollock | OF | Player | $10,000,000 | $5,000,000 |
| Blake Treinen | RP | Team | $8,000,000 | $1,500,000 |
| Daniel Hudson | RP | Team | $6,500,000 | $1,000,000 |
Turner’s 2023 option vests if he finishes in the top 15 in MVP voting in 2022, with the base salary rising to $20 million if he’s in the top 10 or $17.5 million if he’s 11th through 15th. Muncy already saw his 2023 option base salary increase by $500,000 by finishing 10th in the 2021 NL MVP voting, and he can add more based on his 2022 MVP finish: $1 million for top-five, $500,000 for sixth through 10th, or $250,000 if 11th through 15th, as long as he receives more than one vote.
AJ Pollock can also increase his 2023 player option salary depending on his MVP finish in 2022: $5 million for winning, $3 million from second through fifth, $1 million for sixth through 10th. Pollock can also add up to $5 million to his 2023 salary based on 2022 plate appearances — $1 million for each of 400, 450, 500, 550, and 600 PA.
Aside from this group, Mookie Betts and Taylor are the only Dodgers under contract for 2023, though with the offseason on hold and several roster moves still needed, that will likely change after the lockout ends.