While we are in wait mode, waiting for the next rumor to drop, I thought I would include what Brandon Gomes is saying, and names that will be signing in the next few weeks with some teams. I separated Teo and Tanner Scott from the other FA, as those are the two most likely to sign, even though there is still doubts they will sign with LAD.
“I feel like we’ve made some moves that have set a really strong foundation for a successful team. And now we’ll take the next couple of weeks leading up to Spring Training to explore what’s out there, and we’ll continue to try to make moves that we feel like are needle-movers, and whether that’s with impact moves or depth moves, whatever, all of those play into our quest to repeat.” – Gomes
What is Brandon Gomes saying?
Free Agents Available (non-relievers, except Tanner Scott)
Teoscar Hernández
Tanner Scott
Walker Buehler
Jack Flaherty
Kiké Hernández
Corbin Burnes
Jurickson Profar
Jose Quintana
Carlos Estévez
Andrew Heaney
Ha-Seong Kim
Harrison Bader
Max Kepler
Randal Grichuk
Other Relievers:
Kirby Yates
Jeff Hoffman
Carlos Estevez
Mike Soroka
Andrew Kittridge
Tommy Kahnle
José Leclerc
David Robertson
Spencer Turnbull
Paul Sewald
Jakob Junis
Trevor Williams
I purposely left off FA with qualifying offers, except Corbin Burnes. That includes Anthony Santander, Sean Manaea, and Nick Pivetta. I left off 1B (Christian Walker and Pete Alonso), 2B (Hyeseong Kim and Gleyber Torres), 3B (Alex Bregman), DH (Joc Pederson, JDM, and Justin Turner), Rocking Chair Pitchers (Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, Lance Lynn, Kenley Jansen, and Charlie Morton).
Trades that have been mentioned (very unlikely).
Nolan Arenado
Ryan Helsley
Luis Robert Jr
Cedric Mullins
Cody Bellinger
Seiya Suzuki
What do you think the chances are of signing ANY of the free agents or making a needle moving (Gomes’ words) trade. Feel free to include others (Please!). I am also curious as to what you may believe fair returns by the Dodgers may be.
If we don’t get Scott, I could see AF going after Yates, Hoffman or Estevez. No idea what the plan is for May this year, but as we have previously discussed, he would make sense in the bullpen.
Scott/Yates/Hoffman/Estevez
Treinen
Kopech
Phillips
Vesia
Banda
May
Brasier/Casparius
I think Andrew very much wants another outfielder. If no Teo, I could see him going hard after Suzuki but the price might be quite high because other teams will want him also. I don’t see Belli back here.
I do think Robert Jr would be a possibility, but at what price?
The holdup on Teo as has been reported.
Deferrals are tied in with AAV. Dodgers want deferrals to lower AAV, and Teo does not want deferrals. Teo is still hopeful that a deal can come together.
Why are deferrals an issue? The Dodgers will be paying 110% of the AAV as a luxury tax. Even the Dodgers have a budget.
Yes, Teo and Tanner Scott would moved the needle
And I still see Robert and Suzuki as potential pivots from Teo. Either would move the proverbial needle.
The Dodgers’ obvious trading chips include Rushing, Lux, Outman, Pages as well as some second-tier SPs like Knack and Wrobleski, plus several rising pitching prospects like Karros and Huebeck. To these I would add De Paula, because I think Rushing has more potential value on the Dodgers.
To sweeten a deal, the Dodgers could add some prospects who may be approaching their expiration dates like Ryan Ward, Cartaya, Feduccia.
Maybe Cody Hoese. He’s showing signs of being a late bloomer…. maybe too late for the Dodgers, but not for another team.
Randall Grichuk would be a good signing max Kepler a good one year contract David Robertson add to bullpen a starter I would say Charlie Mortonpr Kyle Gibson always important to have a guy a 5 starter or 6th guy that can go out there if someone gets hurt or blowout games a veteran never know what will happen with I juries good idea to have replacenent if something happens to the starters don’t want a repeat of last year.
Hey guys, not much happening right now except some minor league deals. A lot of rumors, mostly smoke though and no flames. Actually, was able to stand up for a few minutes today. Ankle is still a little swollen. But I am feeling better day by dat. Hope they sign Teo.
The previous article highlighted issues that the Dodgers might have in making trades. Given that AF stated that he’d like to avoid mid season trades suggests he could have the same concerns and would like to put the team in a position minimize mid season trades. Makes me think that AF could actually sign Scott and Teo. Is the Dodgers need to have deferrals included with Teo part of a strategy to also sign Scott?
How Shohei and Mookie move the needle with their legs….
https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-rumors-trades-and-signings
https://www.mlb.com/news/mookie-betts-stolen-bases-statcast-analysis
MLB’s Pipeline podcast makes some 2005 projections:
Of relevance to the Dodgers:
First they say the Dodgers and Padres are the front-runners for Sasaki.
Second, they say by year’s end the Dodgers, again, could have THE BEST FARM SYSTEM in MLB. The Dodgers’ system’s youth gives pause (7 of the top 11, and 10 of the top 17 are 20 years of age or younger), and Seattle and Detroit are pretty good. But the Dodgers are at or VERY close to the top.
Not too shabby.
Finally, Kellen Lindsay predicted to be an ascendant player ascending from outside the top 100 to into.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mlb-pipeline/id906717198?i=1000680711146
This time of year I just sit back, read and observe. I’m not much of a GM but enjoy the conversations.
I am excited to watch the start of the new 12 team playoffs in college football.
I will say that I am amazed once again with Manfred and his minions. Last season and post season again showed the need for Hawkeye /ABS System, MLB drags it’s feet on ABS and pisses around with stupid shit like the Golden at Bat.
Apparently MLB has decided on its own to employ the Challenge System, and again experiment with it this Spring Training. I guess the years of usage and experimentation in MiLB wasn’t enough.
The US built the first nuclear reactor to produce plutonium during WWII, in 18 months. Had Manfred been in charge then, we all might speaking Japanese.
I don’t prefer the Challenge System for reasons I’ve previously mentioned but I’ll take it as a distance second best choice to improve calling balls and strikes.
But get on with it Rob.
And put the Golden at Bat idea where the sun don’t shine.
Would Michael Taylor be a good centerfielder to get for the Dodgers then Pages and Outman can platoon in leftfield with Conforto and Chris Taylor platoon in Rightfield then Edman can come in and play second base and use Lux to go get some relief pitching or a number 5 or 6 pitcher in the starting rotation. Michael Taylor then can be the number nine batter almost every day. Since he usually is a leadoff hitter but with Ohtani batting first put Michael Taylor at number nine slot. He is a free agent isn’t he and played for Nationals and Braves and almost started every game.
Saw this on the Jay Jaffe chat:
Idiotic Failson: “Caleb Durbin is our 2b” always felt like “Bubba Crosby is our LF” for NY, but even that is now implausible as they traded Mr. Durbin for a closer. What in the world are the Yankees going to do with 2B?
Jay Jaffe: Willie Randolph is sitting by the phone, waiting… I really don’t know. I suppose it’s possible they bring back Torres because the other FA options are basically stopgaps. I don’t think Oswaldo Cabrera or DJ LeMahieu is an acceptable option to take into spring training so they’ll have to scare up a trade somewhere.
So, needle movers.
If Teoscar doesn’t resign.
And AF can’t win a hypothetical Suzuki firesale, how silly is/are:
(These two are only offered is Lux is our 2nd baseman is being uttered in the vein of Dee Gordon is our 2B from years past)
Lux and Bobby Miller for Jasson Dominguez
OR
Lux for Trent Grisham and george Lombard
Both work from a trade value POV
If the Dodgers don’t bring Teo back or get another impact outfielder, it might behoove them to keep Mookie in RF for at least the 2025 season. Outfield against righties: Conforto-LF, Outman-CF, Mookie-RF. Against lefties: Pages-LF, Edman-CF, Mookie-RF. Against lefties Rojas plays SS and Taylor plays 2B.
I am still hoping we get Suzuki if we don’t re-sign Teo.
Saw something in Bleacher Reports that said Teo is looking for a 3-year deal at something in the $22-24MM per year range.
I can’t believe AF will let him sign with the Red Sox or Yankees if that’s all he’s asking for.
Maybe the deal we offered Soto was $600 mil with $590 mil deferred.
Andrew wants Teo to defer some of the money. Teo says no thank you. For the amount he’s asking for, I can’t say I blame him. Hopefully both sides come to their senses quickly and get the deal done before one or the other does something they’ll be sorry for.
Cody Bellinger traded to the Yankees.
So the Cody Poteet era will soon begin in Wrigley Field!
The name was not familiar to me, but Poteet is the reliever that the Cubs got for Cody Bellinger. The Yankees also kicked in $5 million for salary relief for the $52.5 million left on Belli’s contract through ’26. The $5 million happens to equal the buyout for the ’26 season, in case the Yankees decide to let Belli go.
But I wish Belli nothing but success. Poteet too.
We don’t yet know now much Teo will get this season, but reports suggest that the AAV will be a few million below the $26m AAV that Belli will get. Something like $65m-70m for three seasons. (Would anyone here prefer Belli to Teo at this point?)
Then there’s Luis Robert Jr., who according to Spotrac is under contract for $55m AAV over the next three seasons. He had a bad ’24 but is potentially the best of this trio–and the youngest too.
My guess is that the Dodgers and Teo will work something out. But a blockbuster or Robert would be much more exciting. And it would take a lot more that Cody Poteet. Perhaps something like…
–Josue De Paula, because the ChiSox covet a big prospect bat (and De Paula might be best used as a DH, and the Dodgers already have a good one).
–Bobby Miller, because he’s a 1st-round talent who showed ace potential as a rookie. (I’d most want to keep Miller, there from I think the ChiSox management would love his upside.)
–Outman or Pages, because somebody would need to take Roberts’ place in the OF.
–Plus Ryan Ward and Hunter Feduccia, because they are aging prospects who might find ML roles on the White Sox and are very unlikely to do so with the Dodgers. They deserve a chance.
So 5-for-1 feels like a big “overpay,” right? Well, maybe we could replace Miller with Wrobleski….
But remember that Robert’s initial salary would be much less than Teo’s–and Robert’s youth and potential could carry the Dodgers into the post-Mookie era. Robert is only one year older than Soto.
Highly unlikely to happen… but fun to think that it could.
I wonder whether Belli’s departure from the Cubs means that Suzuki will be definitely be staying.
If Teo departs, could Suzuki still be a trade target?
Among many, I have been a proponent of increased study on arm injuries and a look into the possibilities of reducing the epidemic.
Andy McCullough has a good article in the Athletic yesterday entitled “MLB report on arm injury epidemic finds a multilayered problem with few easy fixes”.With the goal of maximum velocity and spin at every level, it makes it increasingly unlikely there is a solution other than medical advances to insert steel cables in an elbow and I have no clue about shoulders.
The idea of pitchers finding gears and speed changes as prevention seems less and less likely. The next man up strategy isn’t going away anytime soon.
Check out the article.