The Dodgers seem set at 5 positions.
- C – Will Smith
- 1B – Freddie Freeman
- 2B – Gavin Lux
- RF – Mookie Betts
- DH – Max Muncy
That is actually a decent core of excellent players. Not many teams have that quality in their lineup. But they have a lot of needs. The Dodgers need a SS, a CF, a LF, and maybe a 3B. I am acknowledging that Miggy Vargas will become the regular 3B or LF, even though he is better suited as a DH. In addition they need starting pitching. Will they look for top of the rotation starters, or back end as they did last year (Tyler Anderson and Andrew Heaney). Maybe this year it will be Chad Kuhl and Dylan Bundy.
But questions still persist with some of the players still with the team. Why did they not replace Walker Buehler? Are you convinced that Tony Gonsolin’s forearm strain is not a precursor to something worse? Right now, the only starting pitchers on the projected 26 man are Julio Urias, Dustin May, and Tony Gonsolin (if healthy). One thing I learned in business is that I hope for the best, but I plan for the worst. Is anyone prepared to trot out a rotation of Urias, May, Pepiot, Miller, and Stone? If the Dodgers do not re-sign Kershaw, Tyler Anderson, or Andrew Heaney, or any other starting pitcher, that could be the rotation.
There are multiple ways of finding replacements. Promote from within. This is where Miguel Vargas comes in. James Outman? Jake Amaya? Pepiot, Miller, and Stone?
Sign a free agent elite player. Sign a free agent depth role player and hope they can turn into a regular. This would include a bevy of FA signing MiLB contracts (Yency Almonte, Jason Martin, Jake Lamb, Kevin Pillar, Eddy Alvarez).
Pick up a waiver wire player and hope they turn out as did JT, Max Muncy, Evan Phillips. Trade from the roster or trade from MiLB.
I think the Dodgers will be outbid for every elite SS. I do not think they will put a package together to get a top of the rotation pitcher, or sign one. And yet other teams will. I do not think they will put a package together to get a solid CF or big LF bat.
I know for some, their preference is that the team keep all of their prospects until they become non-tradeable. Yadier Álvarez, Jeren Kendall, Mitch Hansen, Jordan Sheffield, Omar Estévez, Cristian Santana, Starling Heredia, DJ Peters, Matt Beaty, Dennis Santana, Josh Sborz, Kyle Garlick…But for some of us maybe it is better to trade prospects for players who can help now. Willie Calhoun, AJ Alexy, Yusniel Diaz, Dean Kremer, Zach Pop, Grant Holmes, Frankie Montas, Keibert Ruiz, JoJo Gray, Alex Verdugo, Jeter Downs, Connor Wong. Yes, that Dean Kremer, who was a throw in for Manny Machado who will turn out to be better than most of those RHP the Dodgers are holding on to.
AF has gone both ways with trades involving prospects, as well as to holding onto prospects. Some have worked out, and others (as noted above) have not. Gavin Lux and Will Smith. These are the only two position players drafted or IFA signed in the AF (2015 to current) era who are considered everyday players in the LAD 26 man roster. Who will be the next? Miguel Vargas, James Outman, Jake Amaya?
Obviously nothing is going to happen until after the WS. Options will be exercised or not. Not just for the Dodgers but for all of the other teams. Qualifying offers will be made. Rule 5 draft prospects will be protected. Some players will be non-tendered. The Winter Meetings will take place just about a month after the WS. And the start of ST will begin just about 2 months after that. A lot of moving parts need to be identified in a short period of time.
I plan to look at the 4 positions in question and starting pitching over the next several days. I am probably less enthusiastic that significant free agents or trades will be made. But I am open to being wrong. Part of my reasoning is that 2022 will be the second year that the Dodgers will exceed the CBT Threshold. The last time they were in this position (after 2017), they made sure that they slipped below the threshold to reset the penalties. IMO they may want to do the same thing in 2023.
What say you?
I have no special insight. I have no inside knowledge. I have sources, but none of them have any information as to what the Dodgers are planning. The Dodgers are probably the least transparent team in MLB. I have no idea who Jon Heyman’s source is indicating that the Dodgers are looking at Carlos Correa. I chuckle at those who truly believe the Dodgers would entertain another $300MM++ deal for Aaron Judge. But again, I am simply a fan looking back at what has happened in the past and drawing assumptive conclusions.
I never thought they would sign a player to a $300MM++ deal, and yet they did (Mookie). I never thought they would sign Trevor Bauer, and yet they did. I do not believe the Dodgers will sign a Scott Boras client during the AF era. Will I be wrong again?
I am not a reporter or journalist. I am a fan with opinions and a blog. I am right sometimes, and wrong many times. I will be right in the future, and wrong many times again. But one thing I will not do is to tell those who disagree with my opinions that they are morons, or that they say the dumbest things ever. When you do that, you lose the argument. So I am soliciting all comments. Have fun during the Hot Stove League.
I had thought that if they won the WS they could back off and start bringong up more prospects instead of going all in and signing stars. But they didn’t even get in to the WS so they have a tougher decision, go big again or retool with prodpects.
Or they could do both by starting the season modestly and filling their holes at the trade deadline.
I believe they will reset. What that means for roster additions? It’s too early to know. That’s Dodgy blog schema for I don’t have a clue.
We’ve got those 5 stars to build around. The powerful staff of Buehler, Kershaw, Urias, May and Anderson got blowed up. Bellinger. JT. Trea. All question marks, but at this moment I think they try to bring all of them back. Two of those will be easy.
This is an organization that isn’t designed to rebuild. Not with those expensive stars on the payroll. I see 1 rookie being added yearly to the Opening Day roster. Maybe 2 counting a pitcher. To hit pause and wait for the deadline is risky, but I think that’s a strong possibility.
Friedman will be challenged. It would be easy if they wait on the reset. Just overspend again. My guess is more reclamation projects, a trade nobody sees coming, Vargas, Stone, Bellinger, CK, JT. Even if they sign Bogaerts, Correa or Swanson and trade for Reynolds that starting staff needs to be upgraded to challenge through October.
I’m rambling. I look forward to reading some ideas that make sense.
The only MiLB player in the Dodger system that I would deem untouchable, at this time, is Cartaya. The rest are trade chips, some of greater value than others. With Betts and Freeman signed, you can’t afford to just sit on your hands while other teams continue to improve. Use this so-called vaulted minor league system to fill in the missing pieces by making trades for established players.
I don’t think the Dodgers are well served with Vargas at DH. If a young player can’t play adequate defense to own a spot on the field then that player has to be a stud and Vargas isn’t a stud.
Neither is Busch.
That says a trade is needed to get a young player that can own a spot on the field.
Outman is outstanding defensively so he should stay.
The Dodgers still need to score more runs against lefties.
If Kershaw, JT, Bellinger are not Dodgers then there is money that can be spent on a big righty bat. It may come down to choosing between Correa and those three Dodgers.
Justin Turner has been named winner of the Robert Clemente Award for this year. If Andrew was planning to get rid of him, this makes it just a tad harder.
I’d love to see fan reaction if he gets rid of JT and signs Correa. 🙂
Martin is the most underrated player in the system. His power is real. He hasn’t had a real opportunity yet at the major league level, meaning consistent at bats. With every day playing time, we’ve seen what he can do. If not with the Dodgers, another team will reap the benefit of the power and glove.