When the Dodgers signed Howie Kendrick to a one-year / $9.5 million contract during the 2014 MLB Winter Meetings, they did so for a couple of reasons – the least of which was to fill the enormous void created when they decided to trade away second baseman Dee Gordon. Gordon, of course, was named to the 2015 NL All-Star team, won the 2015 NL batting title, won a Gold Glove and led all of baseball with his 58 stolen bases – all with the Miami Marlins.

The Dodgers were hoping that the then 31-year-old Kendrick – a nine-year MLB veteran (all with the Angels) – could maintain his career .293 batting average, .333 on-base percentage, .423 slugging percentage and .755 OPS which, at the time, was far better than Gordon’s career slash-line of .272 / .314 / .345 / .658.

Not only did Kendrick exceed his career numbers with the Dodgers in 2015, he was the team’s best hitter among those playing in more than 100 games. In his 117 games played, Kendrick hit .295 with 22 doubles. two triples, nine home runs and 54 runs batted in. In other words, Kendrick did everything that Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and general manager Farhan Zaidi could have possibly hoped for.

Kendrick had a knack for coming up with clutch hits for the Dodgers in 2015.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Ironically, when the Dodgers signed Kendrick, Friedman made it sound as though they were planning to keep him around for awhile, this in spite of his one-year deal.

“We feel like within the totality of the moves, we made ourselves a better team,” said Friedman immediately after acquiring the veteran second baseman. “Adding Howie Kendrick we felt like fit us really well – right-handed bat, tremendous hitter, really good defender – and then the young players we got should help us in 2015 and beyond.”

Although the Dodgers’ 2015 postseason once again ended prematurely, it most certainly wasn’t because of Kendrick, who went 6 for 22 (.273) with a double, a home run and four RBIs in the best-of-five 2015 NLDS. And while it didn’t really come as a surprise to anyone when the now 32-year-old Jacksonville, Florida native declined the Dodgers’ $15.8 million qualifying offer in November, most Dodger fans thought that Friedman and Zaidi would at least make some type of a play to re-sign the (now) free agent second baseman – especially when they didn’t really have a true second baseman moving forward.

Oh sure, some can argue that utility infielder-outfielder Kiké Hernandez could effectively become the Dodgers everyday second baseman, but his value to the team as a super sub would be seriously missed – especially if Dodgers center fielder Joc Pederson has another horrible season offensively. And while re-signing veteran second baseman Chase Utley to a one-year / $7 million contract gives the Dodgers some defense at second base, he hit a meager .202 in his 34 games with the Dodgers in 2015 and only .212 on the season between the Dodgers and Phillies. Simply put, Chase Utley is not the Dodgers best option at second base regardless of what he may bring to the clubhouse.

There is zero doubt whatsoever that Kendrick is seeking a multi-year free agent deal and why wouldn’t he? He is at that point in his MLB career where he is looking for financial security for the rest of his and his family’s lives, and at age 32, a four or five year deal would give him exactly that. The question is: what is a 32-year-old second baseman worth to a team whose very mission statement is to “get younger?”

With the acquisition of Micah Johnson from the Chicago White Sox on December 16, there is every indication that Friedman and Zaidi honestly believe that the 25-year-old Indianapolis, Indiana native will become their everyday second baseman, with 37-year-old Utley and 24-year-old Hernandez as his back-up. That being said, Johnson has played in exactly 36 games at the major league level in which he hit .230 with a .306 OBP and .270 SLG for a rather paltry .576 OPS. He also committed three errors in 137 total chances for a fielding percentage of .978 as compared to Kendrick’s career FPCT of .986, Utley’s .982 FPCT and even Kiké’s 1.000 FPCT in 83 total chances at second base.

With only 44 days remaining until the Dodgers first full-squad spring training workout and Howie Kendrick still unsigned, perhaps it might be a good idea for Friedman and Zaidi to reconsider re-signing the guy who was one of their best hitters last season. With each passing day, chances are good that they might be able to get him for less than the $15.8 million qualifying that he turned down last November.

…then again, perhaps this was their thinking all along.