Andrew Friedman is not relly serious about Juan Soto, but h has to act as if he is so as to drive up the price to whoever signs him. It will take something North of $500 Million to sign Soto… maybe $600 to $700 Million. Who knows? The Dodgers might be in on him at $500 Million, but not a higher number… but I never thought they would sign Ohtani at $700 Million, so there is that!
SS Willy Adames remains high on the Dodgers list, but the highest is Teoscar Hernandez. I would not be surprised if the Dodgers give him a generaous offer like 3 years/$75 Million with a opt-out after one year and an option for a forth year… but they will want to make it sooner than later. They can’t wait past the end of November.
Entering the 2024 season, Willy Adames was celebrated as one of baseball’s premier defensive shortstops, a steady anchor in the field. Yet, by year’s end, his glovework told a different story. Adames committed a career-high 20 errors, with Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) plummeting to an eye-popping -16 and Outs Above Average (OAA) downgrading his usually sterling defense to merely average. Despite this, Statcast still highlighted his range and arm strength as comfortably above average—an encouraging sign that his fundamental tools remained intact. Curiously, eight of those errors were clustered within a three-week stretch from late July to mid-August, hinting at the possibility of an unreported injury. Whatever the cause, 2024 was undoubtedly an outlier in Adames’ defensive résumé—a season better viewed as an anomaly than a trend.
I still can see the Dodgers signing Teoscar and Willy and that’s it… other than trading Gavin Lux and maybe James Outman. Both have value, so what the Dodger may need are just Adames and Teoscar along with Roki Sasaki! That’s it! Evolution!
Rule 5 Eligible Players
Players signed at age 18 or younger become Rule 5 Draft eligible after five professional seasons, while those who sign at age 19 or older hit eligibility after just four seasons. This year, the Dodgers have 13 players falling into this category.
Under Rule 5 Draft rules, any player selected in the first round must remain on the selecting team’s Major League roster for the entire season—or else be offered back to their original club. At that point, the original team has the choice to reclaim the player or allow the selecting team to retain them.
A notable example involves the Dodgers and Gus Varland during the 2022 season. After being picked by the Milwaukee Brewers, Varland was returned to Los Angeles. This year, Varland briefly appeared in seven games with the Dodgers before being claimed off waivers by the Chicago White Sox.
Last season, the Dodgers protected three players from the Rule 5 Draft: Landon Knack, Hunter Feduccia, and Nick Frasso. As we approach this year’s draft on December 11, here is the list of Dodgers eligible for selection:
- LHP Jack Dreyer
- RHP Gabe Emmett
- SS Austin Gauthier
- C Griffin Lockwood-Powell
- LHP Ben Harris
- RHP Michael Hobbs
- OF Damon Keith
- RHP Antonio Knowles
- RHP Orlando Ortiz-Mayr
- RHP Kelvin Ramírez
- RHP Ryan Sublette
- RHP David Tiburcio
- OF Jake Vogel
I would not be surprised if the Dodgers did not protect any players, but ones who MIGHT be protected are Gauthier, Dreyer, and Harris.
Al “The Bull” Ferrara Passes Away
The Padres signed him in the expansion draft, but in 1967 he hit .277 with 16 HR. He was with the Dodgers for parts of five years and had 663 plate appearances as a Dodger. R.I.P. Bull!
Mark,
It took until the last sentence of your post to mention the Dodgers signing Sasaki. I couldn’t believe they would NOT address starting pitching! I tend to agree they’re not going to drop big bucks on the available free agent pitchers though I sorta wonder…..
PS: Because EVERYone seems to think they are bound to trade Lux I predict they will NOT. At least not until either the end of Spring Training or possibly the trade deadline.
Here are the options:
Yamamoto
Ohtani
Glasnow
Gonsolin
May
Miller
Kershaw (sometime)
Frasso (maybe)
Sheehan (mid seson)
Knack
If you add Sasaki, that makes 11 starters… plus Ferris and what about Buehler?
Casparius & Wrobleski can’t be ruled out.
Right.
And I would happily include Knack, Wrobleski or Casparius in a nice package that brings back Crochet.
A trade for Crochet would upgrade the rotation and enable the brass could save the FA budget for Teo and Adames and (I hope) Buehler….And if Sasaki comes too, so much the better.
Meanwhile, rumors have the Angels interested in both Buehler and Flaherty…
Or did I start those rumors?
As for Rule 5, I hope the brass either protects Gauthier or deals him.
If he stays with the Dodgers, he might be the eventual successor for Chris Taylor in the UT role.
Casey Porter on Dodger Dawgs is talking up Kody Hoese as a guy who could be lost in Rule 5. Drafted ahead of Michael Busch, Hoese has battled injuries but had a strong ’24. Porter was lamenting that the Dodgers played Cavan Biggio when they could have given Hoese a look….
Casey Porter is a career AAA guy who loves the AAA Players, but Hoese’s bat is slow. He has learnd how to handle it at AAA, but I think they would eat him up in MLB. That’s what happened to Miguel Vargas… now it doesn’t mean that he can’t evolve, but at the MLB Level, if your bat speed is not elite, it’s hard! I like Hoese a lot too and he is a good ballplayer and playes great defense. I don’t think Hoese is a MLB starter and he’s porimarily a 3B. Lipsius is a similar player, but not good on defense.
The mistake I made with Miggy Vargas was I watched his elite bat-to-ball skills and he sailed through each level… even AAA, but looking back, I now see that his bat speed was not elite… and it will likely never be. Alex Bregman is now borderline on bat speed.
The White Sox say they do not want pitching for Crochet – they want hitters. It might start with Rushing and DePaula!
BP,
No, they cannot be ruled out, but I like them better as long men in the bullpen.
Yes, the White Sox say they want hitters.
But would they turn down a pitcher? I don’t think so. It’s not like the MLB’s worst team is rich in pitching talent. And wouldn’t they need a starter to replace Crochet?
So imagine this offer for Crochet:
Lux + DePaula + Bobby Miller
And overpay? Not necessarily.
Miller might be Crochet’s equal in terms of raw talent, so I’d rather offer Knack or Wrobleski. If the Sox insist on either Rushing or DePaula, I’m keeping Rushing. DePaula is promising but still largely unproven. Lux is a good player who is expendable with Mookie taking over 2B.
I remember reading that the White Sox were insisting on Rushing during trade talks last season, but the Dodgers refused. If the Dodgers don’t want to offer De Paula, perhaps they could offer Cartaya and ?? instead. Or maybe Outman and Galiz… A lot of possibilities.
What are the odds the Dodgers wind up with Roki Sasaki? The more articles I read I’m not so sure he will be a Dodger.
I think the odds are in the Dodgers favor, but it’s not a done deal. If the posting happens THIS season (2024) then the Dodgers are in the drivers seat with the most money and they cold trade Lux and Outman for another Million. OTOH, it it happens after the new year, several other teams have more money.
The Dodgers will not be in a hurry to deal Lux. Betts is going to the infield. What makes Betts a superstar is that he puts the team first. Currently we have “no idea” is left, “who knows” in center and “we will come up with something “ in right. Pages will be in the mix, possibly Edmund. Rushing is unproven. The Dodgers know what they have in Lux. So if the Dodgers can’t come up with a minimum of an equal bat to Lux they may hold up on getting rid of him. Remember Lux at this time last year was the sure fire shortstop. As we all know that didn’t work out. In a perfect world the Dodgers will honor Betts desire to move to second and will honor the move at some point but the Dodgers or Betts want to weaken the team in order for Betts to play second. Just my thought!
This time last year, I told everyone who would listen that Gavin Lux was not a SS. On 11/27/23, I wrote this:
“I like Gavin’s bat, legs (although we shall have to see if he can maintain his speed after surgery), and glove. What scares me is his arm. It’s no secret that he has had the yips in the past, and he doesn’t have a cannon of an arm anyway. It’s strong but not noteworthy. I have no problem with Gavin at 2B, but I do not believe that he can play SS. You might say that Andrew Friedman believes Gavin is a SS, but maybe he is just trying to “sell” that idea. Until he actually starts at SS, I do not believe AF believes that, either. That is my opinion. I see Gavin Lux as a 20 HR/.290 hitter. If he plays 2B, I am down with that, although you have seen his throws from 2B be wildly unpredictable as well.”
A lot of people thought I had it in for Gavin Lux. On the contray, I liked him… still do… there’s just no place to play him!
Trade him for Devin Williams
I think it would take more than that. They would likely do Lux and Bobby Miller for Williams. Would you?
Ha ha. Good one Mark. AF would never trade those 2 for a reliever. Robert Jr. Anyone?
Book em
No, Miller has potential still.
History of our current front office is they don’t trade for relievers. I believe I saw where Williams is one season out until being a free agent. I’m all in on Betts moving to second. Though I think it would be a mistake i won’t jump off a bridge if they trade Lux. He’s a quality player and should get a quality return..
A deal built around Lux and Williams makes sense to me. But I wouldn’t include Miller in this one. (But maybe in a package for Crochet.)
Williams is a exceptional reliever. It’s true that the Dodgers have a great track record of polishing up journeymen like Banda, but adding an all-star caliber RP makes sense.
Get Williams, bring back Treinen, shift May over… all joining Kopech, Phillips, Vesia, Banda and a couple more. The pen could be dominant.
How about Lux for Correa ? We get an overpaid shortstop and the Twins get out of a bad overpay.
I don’t like Correa even a little bit but even Paul the Apostle changed so maybe he could too. He couldn’t come in and suck. The Dodgers fans would rightly goof on him. If Correa got off to a hot start maybe just maybe he could be excepted.
This is what is called throwing the dice hard.
Never say never… Juan Marichal became Dodger!
True
no correa! no bregman ! no altuve! no springer! no hell no!! i’m not opposed to moving lux. BUT! i wouldn’t trade Gavin straight up for correa! keep the aaaastro garbage off dodger field! Sign Adames and Teo! Resign Walker. sign Fried or Snell. Go forward!
The Dodgers should stay away from Correa. Not necessarily because he was part of the A$$tros team that cheated their way to a WS championship, but mainly because he doesn’t strike me as a player that is going to age well.
The Giants and Mets bailed out of their respective deals over medical concerns when he was a free agent.
Talent has never been an issue with Correa. Health concerns on the other hand are real and associated risks should be avoided. As an aging team, the LAD should be seeking to get younger, not necessarily add another player with health concerns that is creeping its way to the wrong side of 30.
IMHO:
The Dodgers won’t trade anything for D. Williams because the Dodgers don’t trade anything of consequence for relievers, except provisionally at the deadline.
The Dodgers won’t anything for Crochet because the Dodgers don’t trade anything of consequence for good or really good players, they only go for superstars or top of rotation guys.
The Dodgers won’t trade for for Correa or Adames for the very same reason.
I could see the Dodgers trading for someone like Jordan Montgomery, whose value is low. AZ has said they are willing to eat money, I think.
‘The Dodgers won’t anything for Crochet because ……………they only go for superstars or top of rotation guys.”
Many people consider Crochet a top of rotation guy, although if you would say he hasn’t been around long enough to prove that I’d have to agree with you.
“The Dodgers won’t trade for for Correa or Adames …”
The Dodgers won’t trade for Adames because he’s a free agent.
LOL!
Thanks! Should have read acquire/trade
Appreciate the help.
Knew what you meant. Just couldn’t resist.
I know the feeling.
Correa is 30 with two years left on his contract. He doesn’t need to show his ID. The Dodgers according to many on the blogs feel the Dodgers needs are mainly at Shortstop and Center field. Edman takes care of one of those spots. Personally I feel could go with what they have and reevaluate at the deadline but us fans are impatient by nature. Another sequence would keep Lux and have Mookie play short with a right handed pitcher. I don’t really like moving main stay players around. My whole point is Lux is a player so we need quality for quality.
mookie should play 2nd base not shortstop! not that he can’t play SS, for his own good both offensively and defensively let him play 2nd. He’ll be a gold glove 2nd baseman! he won’t win it at ss. Sign Adames! Now he might not win a Gold glove either, but errors won’t affect his performance at the plate! It’ll wear on mookie bif he doesn’t make every play. Love Gavin Lux , but that SS experiment is over! Just like Michael Bush, it’s time. I would love to have had Nolan Arenado at 3rd 3 years ago. But it’s passed. if Max were gone, yeah for a couple of years, but now? no i’ll pass. signing adames gives them their 3rd baseman in about 3 years. .. it will be interesting to see how the outfield plays out. Do they really think Pages is the future in right field? is Edman the everyday center fielder? does teo resign? is outman traded? does Louis Robert come to LA? So are the days of our lives!!!! ( my sweet mother loved that soap!). everyone have a great sunday!!!
I have a question that perhaps will clear up for me something that has been bothering me this off season. We have a shortstop that is a plus fielder. He hit .287. We had very good utility players to give this long time veteran a day or three if needed.Miguel Rojas just had a career year. Perhaps it was a fluke or maybe his career year becomes a couple of really good seasons. If it doesn’t work out we have Edman already in house. There is a trade deadline to see if Rojas is for real. My question: did Babe Ruth really call his shot?
Pretty easy to Google that.
A lot of different views.
We just won it all. No doubt we’ll make the playoffs in 25. But we’ll keep improving our team. We won’t rest on our laurels. Let’s sign Kike and Roki and try to get Teo and Striker on board. If not, Rushing, Edmans and Pages can roam the outfield. Rojas and Freeland can man short . That’s definitely good enough to get us to July 31st. And we get to see what the youngsters got. Or dump Lux, Freeland and Rushing for Robert Jr. And sign Adames.
I know, I know we’re all blowing smoke.
Book em