Well, the baseball winter meetings are now a little over a week away. The big question for Dodger fans is what, if any, moves will the Dodgers make.
A couple of free agents have come off of the board: Lynn to the Cardinals, Gibson to the Cardinals, DeJong to the White Sox, and the biggest fish so far, Nola back to the Phillies.
Usually, there is a lull until the week after Thanksgiving. Teams wanting to make moves before the meetings will sometimes sign fringe players before going after their real targets.
You can bet your house that the Dodgers in division rivals are not going to be sitting idle. The Giants have been linked to numerous free agents, including Cody Bellinger. Seems Zaidi has an affinity for ex- Dodgers.
The Padres, despite losing their owner last week, signed a new manager and are said to be talking trades concerning Juan Soto. The Padres are looking to shed 50 million in payroll.
The D-Backs struck first, trading for Suarez from the Mariners. And it has been noted they have an interest in several free agents.
The Rockies traded for Cal Quantrill from the Guardians as their first major addition to the team. The rest of their plan seems to be using their kids for the moment. They had a couple of nice debuts by players this season. Most notably, Nolan Jones.
So far, the Dodgers’ only free-agent addition is pitcher Ricky Vanasco. They tendered contracts to all of their arbitration-eligible players. So the roster sits at 39.
That alone gives the feeling that they will be very active in the trade market. The only way to create roster space now is through trades… and trades, including multiple players heading the other way.
The rumors about a deal with the White Sox for Dylan Cease persist. Rumors of a deal for Corbin Burnes are still out there, too. Not to mention the free agency of Yamamoto, Imanaga, and Ohtani.
It is going to be a very interesting two weeks.
It has been speculated Ohtani will sign before or during the Winter Meetings. We’ll see. I think the “framework” has been laid at the GM meetings for some of these rumored trades, so we can expect many to be finalized and announced at the Winter Meetings.
I expect AF to come away from the meetings with at least one SP (trade or FA signing) and Ohtani. He will then use the rest of the offseason acquiring additional SP with some reclamation projects such as Giolito and/or Flaherty as strong possibilities.
I agree that this time, AF will make moves early. He does not want to get left out on someone he might really covet. Before they hired Shildt, the Padres had interviewed Adrian Gonzalez for the manager’s job. He was actually one of the three finalists for the job. Lee will most likely be posted in early December. Imanaga on Monday according to most reports.
Norcal, I agree with you on Ohtani, a trade for a top level pitcher (Burnes, Cease, Glasnow?), and then sign another pitcher.
I can’t see us signing BOTH Ohtani and Yamamoto, but perhaps Imanaga would be cheaper and a better fit (left hander).
i hope so Bear! it’s time to blow the rest of this division completely out of the water! hopefully the giants go ofer this offseason. hopefully the padres continue their dysfunctional ways. the rockies are the rockies. but, be just a bit leary of the diamond backs. they are a couple of moves from being much better than last year! i hope everyone had a wonderful thanksgiving. i spent mine with my family. 5 grandkids with 2 more due in january. my youngest son gave me an early christmas present last night. a steve garvey signed baseball, he was my favorite until clayton came along! lets go big blue!
MLB.com has some trade suggestions:
https://www.mlb.com/news/hypothetical-blockbuster-deals-for-2023-2024-offseason?partnerId=zh-20231124-1099909-mlb-1-A&qid=1026&utm_id=zh-20231124-1099909-mlb-1-A&bt_ee=bpdnuGd99MdbsACCoknQG3O%2BW2l0TZPSiT484np0hcZW6LlKDlwNCzlblhfBMBH9&bt_ts=1700835767943
Here’s one that you heard here first, folks:
LA is Burnes-ing
Dodgers get: RHP Corbin Burnes and SS Willy Adames
Brewers get: INF Gavin Lux and RHP Emmet Sheehan
Burnes and Adames to the Dodgers feels like a layup. It makes so much sense that it’s bound to … not happen. Such is baseball.
But seriously, the Dodgers need pedigree in their ravaged rotation and a surer solution at shortstop, and a Brew Crew club in transition has both of those things to offer. Burnes, the 2021 NL Cy Young winner, and Adames are both under control for one more year, and Los Angeles seems to prefer short-term options over longer-term entanglements.
The only question is the return. What I’ve submitted here are two controllable Major League pieces that could help the Brewers remain competitive (maybe the Dodgers would have to kick in some more lower-tier prospects to sweeten the deal).
Lux’s prospect sheen has taken a tumble, and he missed all of 2023 due to a terrible Spring Training knee injury. But he’s only entering his age-26 season, he’s on track to be back in ’24 and — most important of all, of course — he’s from Kenosha!
It’s possible, though, that the Brewers will look for even younger and more controllable options as the centerpieces of a swap if or when they deal these two prominent pending free agents. We know Burnes is a catch, but it will be interesting to see what Adames’ trade value is, given the dearth of quality shortstop help available in free agency.
I’d do that deal in a heartbeat, if Milwaukee would!
For two rentals? Unless they both agree to extensions, no thanks.
Seems plausible to me.
Burnes and Adames are both proven players.
Lux is somewhat less proven and coming off an injury. Sheehan is not proven but promising.
Somebody around here suggested that Sheehan and Pepiot might wind up as good as Burnes. Well, who knows? But Burnes IS Burnes.
I’ve also read that Milwaukee can move Tirang over to SS.
Would the Brewers prefer Busch or Vargas to Lux? How about Yeiner Fernandez or ???
anyway we can make that deal with out lux included?
It’s probable, but it takes more prospect capital.
Well whatever happens we need two starters and two bats. Right now we have Muncy and Busch at third and DH. Lux at short, Vargas at 2nd, Outman in CF and who knows in LF. That lineup and our existing starters will not win a WS! AF has a lot of work to do!
Ohtani is the biggest bat out there.
(Right now, I’m with my crafty southpaw at a tournament in Manila. One of the younger boys has his three bombs–and his new nickname is Donnie Ohtani.)
So yeah, I see Ohtani in our future. But for 2004, I think we need at least two frontline starters, maybe three,
I t think the Dodgers reported interest is fine, but I’d rather have a sure thing like Yamamoto or Burnes. Cease would be nice too.
I love Burnes, but can we really go without a left handed starter? I honestly think we need a top tier lefty and maybe a cheaper lefty so we at least have one to throw in every series. What’s the plan here??
Technically we dont need one, but aesthetically I agree one would be nice.
Ideally a #3 type after Miller & Buehler and before Pepiot & Sheehan.
I think you’re showing a lot of faith in Buhler, coming off his second TJ, and Miller, entering his sophomore season.
Both could be ace quality… and both could be something less.
Anyway, I like the buzz about Yamamoto, Burnes and Cease. A lefty would be nice too.
I’m liking the growth I seen in Sheehan thru last year and with quality starters hard to come by hate to see him or Pepiot involved in any trade. Especially with pitching depth being so important these days. Sure seems like more than ever there goes another to Tommy John or some other surgery. It’s pretty much guaranteed the same five that start the year will be much different come October, need all we can get. Pitching wins
100%
I’ll be pissed if we trade Sheehan
Unless it’s for someone I like even more!
Michael
You nailed it. Exactly.
Syndergaard has received interest from several teams. Doubt the Dodgers are one of them. As much as I do like Burnes, I do not want to see them trade controllable guys for rentals. I would rather see them trade for Cease. Consider this, Cease has two years of control left. He is also two years younger than Burnes. If they want to expand the trade and try to get Roberts, I am all in with that. I cannot see trading a couple of prospects and maybe Lux for a couple guys who can walk after the season. Report on google news said Nola did not want to play in Los Angeles. In the trades AF has made for rentals, he generally has not given up much. Only in the Scherzer-Turner deal have all the prospects he traded stayed with the team they were traded to. Of the five guys traded for Machado, Kremer is the only one still with the Orioles, Pop is with Toronto and Diaz just signed with the Giants. None of the players traded for Darvish are still with Texas. None of the players traded for Rich Hill are still with the A’s and only Frankie Montas is in the majors.
Extra credit to Mark for working some Jimmy Buffet into a Thanksgiving day post on a Dodger blog.
Demand heavily outweighs supply with so many teams looking to add front line starters with really not very many to be had will make it hard and expensive to acquire just one much less the two some of us think would take to win that elusive ring. If Friedman could pull that off I’d be more prone to jump on that bandwagon some on here ride
Front line starters, in particular proven ace type guys, are rare. Demand will always be high for those type of pitchers.
According to David Vassegh of AM 570 L.A. Sports Radio, the expectation remains that the Dodgers will sign Ohtani:
Though I would like to see Ohtani in a Dodgers uniform he represents SUCH a huge LONG TERM risk in dollars, time and performance. And each of those separately as a pitcher and as a hitter.
I can see it happening because those in-the-know have information about the extent of his surgery, recovery and personal desires for the remainder of his career. Plus he potentially represents big promotional opportunities internationally.
But I can also see the risks just flat “pinging” Friedman’s known reluctance to sign any pitcher long term much less one with this much downside potential….unless ownership has directed him to get it done.
Mookie is a long-term risk too….
So far, so good.
And he doesn’t pitch.
There are many teams who would assume the risk with Ohtani. And the Dodgers certainly seem like one. If, heaven forbid, he can’t pitch ever again, he could easily transition to an OF role–with the potential of hitting to an 1,000+ OPS for the next five or six years.
If he can pitch again–and surgery today works wonders–he could return as an ace or maybe a closer.
But he is a unicorn. THE unicorn.
What’s not to like?
“If you’re always rational about every free agent, then you will finish third on every free agent.” Time to lose your mind AF!
If it’s Ohtani, he can’t overpay because it’s not possible.
Overpaying for Othani JohnnyGentle will not end well for any team. Two TJ surgery’s already and how long will the second one hold up. Let’s give him 5 years before he blows out his arm again, Now he will be limited to DH at best. Can you say dead money crippling our/any team.
Great athlete, probably a great team mate but still there are no guarantees he will bring us a WS title.
This reminds me of Nick Colletti signing Jason Schmidt for 3 years at at 47 million. What did that get us. 3 wins 6 losses and 43.1 innings pitched over 3 injury filled years.
So yes it is possible to overpay for a player. And we already know he is TJ injury prone. I’ll pass.
Ohtani will be a premier slugger for the next decade at the very least. Look at guys like Nelson Cruz who continued slugging HRs well beyond their late 30s, early 40s. He can easily take over 1b too when Freddies contract is up . Put him in the middle of a lineup and you will get your 40-100-100 (HR, rbi, runs) year in , year out.
Even if he does not throw one pitch he will be a great signing.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes, we can.
Getting an ace should be the priority, and Burnes qualifies. Getting a lefty is a secondary concertn.
Burnes (or Cease) would come cheaper that Snell. Snell is a lefty, but for a few reasons (including Boras) I don’t see Snell coming. Or Jordan Montgomery either.
But Imanaga seems possible. And why not Ryu?
How about:
Burnes/Cease , Buhler, Miller, Imanaga, Pepiot, Ryu.
This six-man rotation assumes that Sheehan is packaged for Burnes or Cease, and both Imanaga and Ryu are signed as FAs. We’d have TWO southpaws in the rotation.
A six-man rotation in ’24 would transition well to ’25, when Ohtani is ready to resume pitching,
Andrew Friedman ‘obsessed’ to sign Ohtani
Ohtani undeniably is the headliner of MLB free agency this winter, and Friedman has been described as being “obsessed” with signing the two-way superstar.
Oh, come on Andrew….don’t you see that AF is just trying to drive up the market for Ohtani?
Because Snell is sooo sexy. And Matt Chapman and Giolito too.
Seriously now… well, semi-seriously… why not pass on Ohtani and sign Snell, Chapman and Giolito instead?
Well… that might be a good baseball move.
Snell is a lefty ace. A two-fer!
Chapman is a gold glove at 3B–and would push Mas to DH!
And Giolito is a local boy who could rebound to top tier status!
And yet.. and yet….
That trio doesn’t have the star power of Ohtani.
Plus, it’s not an either-or. Dodgers could sign Ohtaani and Giolito too.
But I still think Max is staying at 3B.
Ohtani will be a Dodger soon whether the participants on this site like it or not. West Coast, Weather and Winning is the formula for Ohtani to sign a contract with the Dodgers. It’s not my money so whatever ownership deems reasonable for a once in a lifetime superstar is alright with me. Ownership is smarter than all of us.He will not hamper the payroll because the Dodgers will generate millions from his presence. The Japanese fan base from the Angels will follow him right to Dodger Stadium. We don’t have an International Super Star on our roster but that will change soon and many more will follow. The Dodgers have hired an individual just for that purpose. Get ready, he’s coming.
I need a sarcasm font.
The Dodgers are going for Ohtani. They may not make him the biggest offer, but they will probably make the smartest offer. Ohtani can leverage the Dodger brand, and vice versa, to the greater glory (and profits) of both.
And I think it’s likely that Ohtani will attract other free agents, perhaps Yamamoto or Imanaga.
An interviewer ask Kike about the prospect of Ohtani on the Dodgers.
To paraphrase Kike: What player wouldn’t want a front-row seat?