The Los Angeles Dodgers are set to face the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night to begin the 2025 MLB playoffs. The Reds just snuck into the postseason after the New York Mets' collapse in the second half.
Before the Dodgers welcome the Reds to Los Angeles, the Dodgers needed to decide how to construct their postseason roster. It can be a difficult decision, and for the Dodgers, they made one choice that's a tough sign for one of their free agent signings.
The Dodgers announced their postseason roster for the Reds series, and while there are some notable players on the roster (like Will Smith and two other catchers), one of the most notable decisions is where their $17 million free agent lands.
Dodgers' $17 million All-Star is left off the postseason roster
As Bob Nightengale of USA Today identified, looking over the Dodgers' playoff roster, there is one name that's not listed among the outfielders for Los Angeles. That player, absent from the Wild Card series roster, is Michael Conforto.
Dodgers wild card roster includes 4 left-handed relievers. OF Michael Conforto is off the roster. pic.twitter.com/TIXjutsger
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) September 30, 2025
The former San Francisco Giants and New York Mets All-Star outfielder signed a $17 million deal with the Dodgers in the offseason. While the Dodgers spent a ton to sign him this past winter, he didn't live up to the hype, and is now not on the playoff roster.
In 138 games for the Dodgers, Conforto managed -0.7 WAR, by far the worst season of his 10-year big league career. He also set a career low in batting average, hitting just .199 on the year, and OPS, sitting at .637 (his first season below a .700 OPS).
Overall, Conforto had the worst season of his career, and his struggles have forced the Dodgers to make a difficult decision to keep him off the playoff roster.
If he didn't carry the $17 million price tag, there would be no qualms over leaving him off the roster or outright cutting him during the season. But, with how much the Dodgers invested in him, releasing Conforto would be officially giving up on the veteran outfielder.
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The Conforto signing didn't go to plan, but the Dodgers could still use him as a bench bat or an injury substitution this October. It's not the best backup, but his years of experience make him a better option than most.
Leaving Conforto off the playoff roster isn't surprising, but it's still a noteworthy exemption, as Los Angeles is effectively throwing in the towel on his $17 million contract right as the postseason begins.
Alex Call, Justin Dean, Tommy Edman, Kike Hernandez, Teoscar Hernandez, Hyeseong Kim, and Andy Pages make up the Dodgers outfield for the Reds series. Conforto isn't on the roster, as he'll have to wait to make his return to the postseason for the first time since 2015.
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