Is Joe Kelly Going to Retire? Dodgers Champion Reveals Plans for Future

Kelly shares his future plans.

Allan Henry-Imagn Images

Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Joe Kelly is not planning to retire just yet. During an appearance on the Baseball Isn't Boring podcast, the 36-year-old revealed that he plans to continue pitching next season.

Just taped another @BBisntBoring podcast with Joe Kelly. 1. He is not retiring; 2. He thought there was a good chance he might be activated for Game 6; 3. There were some more strong takes on the Yankees

— Rob Bradford (@bradfo) November 4, 2024

Kelly just wrapped up his 13th season in MLB, and his fifth with the Dodgers. Kelly appeared in 35 games for the Dodgers in 2024, going 1-1 with a 4.78 ERA and 35 strikeouts.

Though Kelly is returning to pitch next season, he will not necessarily stay a Dodger. Kelly is currently a free agent. He last signed with the Dodgers on a one-year, $8 million contract in Dec. 2023. Kelly has had multiple stints with the Dodgers, but they have to yet to make a decision on him this offseason.

Kelly had his first stint with the Dodgers from 2019-21, when he signed with Los Angeles on a three-year, $27 million deal. Kelly played a key role in the Dodgers' 2020 World Series win, helping them defeat the Tampa Bay Rays.

Kelly returned to the Dodgers in 2023 when the Chicago White Sox traded him back to Los Angeles. Kelly dealt with injuries to his shoulder throughout the 2024 season. He landed on the injured list with a shoulder injury in May, and missed over two months. Kelly finished out the regular season, but then re-injured his shoulder heading into the postseason. He did not pitch in any of the Dodgers' postseason games this year.

Kelly did say on the Baseball Isn't Boring podcast that there was a strong chance he would have been activated for Game 6 of the World Series, but the Dodgers won the series over the New York Yankees in five games.

Along with Kelly, Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw also announced he is returning to pitch in 2025. Kershaw missed much of the 2024 season recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. After he did return, his season was cut short again by a bone spur in his toe. Kershaw set to pitch for the Dodgers in 2025. He declined his player option for the 2025 season, but plans to remain a Dodger for life.

The Dodger pitcher who did announce his retirement after the World Series was Daniel Hudson, who is hanging it up after a 15-year MLB career. Hudson retires after winning his second World Series title, and first with the Dodgers.