CARLSBAD, Calif. -- When president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman takes a look at his roster, he can¡¯t help but to be excited about the core of players the club will be returning in 2022. They believe it¡¯s a collection of talent that will help them win six more games than they did in ¡®21.

But when Friedman takes a look at some of the players that officially became free agents last week, he can¡¯t escape the fact that there are a lot of prominent contributors that have entered the market, particularly Clayton Kershaw.

Friedman and his staff face one of the most interesting winters since he took over in 2014. Let¡¯s take a look at a few things Friedman talked about regarding the Dodgers¡¯ outlook this winter.

Decision not to extend Kershaw a qualifying offer
The Dodgers faced a tough decision before Sunday¡¯s qualifying offer deadline. Los Angeles could have offered Kershaw a qualifying offer that, if accepted, would have locked him up for the 2022 season at $18.4 million. Instead, the Dodgers only extended the offer to shortstop Corey Seager and utility man Chris Taylor.

Why exactly did the Dodgers not extend the offer to Kershaw? Well, the left-hander is still recovering from a left elbow injury that ultimately ended his season. He received a PRP injection in October. The expectation is that he¡¯ll be ready by Opening Day.

But because of the injury, Kershaw isn¡¯t particularly ready to make a decision on his future. The Dodgers say they didn¡¯t want to force a timetable on him, therefore an offer wasn¡¯t extended.

¡°I think just with our respect for him and for what he¡¯s done for this organization, that wasn¡¯t something that we wanted to do and put him on that kind of clock when he wasn¡¯t ready for it,¡± Friedman said. "If he wants to come back, we will absolutely work together to make that happen. If he doesn¡¯t for whatever reason, that¡¯s his right. He is going to drive a lot of what he wants to do next year.¡±

What¡¯s the latest with Jansen and Kelly?
Much like Kershaw, Kenley Jansen has been an integral part of the Dodgers¡¯ success for a decade. The right-hander had a bounceback season in 2021, recording 38 saves and eliminating any chatter about a potential change at closer. That success sets him up to have plenty of suitors this offseason.

¡°He had an unbelievable year; he¡¯s had an unbelievable Dodgers career up to this point,¡± Friedman said. ¡°For him, it¡¯s just about figuring out what¡¯s best for him and his family. Obviously, what offers are and how it compares to other offers are a big variable in that. ¡­ If he¡¯s back with us, we get to continue moving forward and trying to win a championship. And if not, we can speak more about what he has meant to this organization. But it¡¯s early.¡±

Though there¡¯s interest on both sides, the Dodgers won¡¯t necessarily engage in a bidding war with other teams for a closer, even one of Jansen¡¯s caliber. They have Brusdar Graterol and Blake Treinen, both of whom could step into the closer role. Or, they could decide to go into the season without a set closer, giving manager Dave Roberts an opportunity to mix and match in order to get the best matchups.

One added option could be Joe Kelly. The Dodgers declined Kelly¡¯s club option over the weekend, but they're very interested in bringing back the right-hander. Kelly suffered a right biceps injury in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series against the Braves but is recovering and will be ready for Spring Training.

¡°Joe is one of a kind. I love what he brings to a clubhouse. Awesome competitor,¡± Friedman said. ¡°He¡¯s another guy that we¡¯ll very much be in the mix for. He and [his wife] Ashley get to go through and figure out what makes sense for them. We have a lot of balls in the air with some really talented players that are free agents.¡±