January 3rd, 2018 at 8:00 am 
by Ron Cervenka The Dodgers didn’t land Miami Marlins superstar outfielder and 2017 NL MVP Giancarlo Stanton this off-season. In fact, they were never really in play for the Panorama City, California native and longtime Dodger fan, who ended up in pinstripes. And by every indication, there will be no Christian Yelich – also a So Cal native from Thousand Oaks – in Dodger Blue anytime soon either. But while either would have been a goldmine to land, the Dodgers, by virtue of some outstanding draft picks and excellent trades over the past several years, have a plethora of extremely talented young outfielders already in their ranks – this in addition to their current outfield core of Yasiel Puig, Chris Taylor, Joc Pederson, Kiké Hernandez and Andrew Toles.
By every indication, Andrew Toles was on pace to become the Dodgers everyday left fielder last season until he tore the ACL in his right knee while attempting a leaping catch and landing awkwardly on May 9, 2017. He underwent surgery on May 23, from which he has now reportedly fully recovered and is expected to compete for one of three starting outfield jobs this spring. (Photo credit – Josh Barber)
And then there’s Matt Kemp.
Realistically, it would be an absolute shock if Kemp is even still a Dodger come opening day on March 29, 2018, having been acquired in a trade with the Atlanta Braves in exchange for Adrian Gonzalez, Brandon McCarthy, Scott Kazmir and fan-favorite Charlie Culberson that was a clear salary dump for both teams. But even though the Dodgers unloaded a combined $47.5 million owed to AGon, Mac, and Kaz in 2018, they also took on the $43 million still owed to Kemp over the next two seasons at $21.75 million per year.
There is zero doubt that Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and general manager Farhan Zaidi have every intention of unloading the now 33-year-old former Dodger and onetime fan-favorite who fell from grace by openly declaring that neither Los Angeles nor San Diego were real baseball towns. But here again, realistically (and rhetorically), who would want to take on that remaining $43 million still owed to Kemp for a guy with significantly declining defensive skills and, at best, mediocre offensive skills?
The alternative and likely path that F&Z will take will be to simply designate Kemp for assignment, with hopes that some MLB team will sign him to give the Dodgers some financial relief, however slight.
But even with Kemp out of the picture, that still leaves five guys fighting for three spots on the Dodgers 25-man roster, and this doesn’t even included 25-year-old Henry Ramos and 24-year-old Jacob Scavuzzo on the Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers roster, or 32-year-old Blake Gailen, 26-year-old Kyle Garlick, 22-year-old DJ Peters and 21-year-old Yusniel Diaz on the Dodgers Double-A Tulsa Drillers roster – most of whom could probably be a starting outfielder on any other MLB team, especially Peters.
Dodgers 2016 fourth-round draft pick DJ Peters from Glendora, California was named the Cal Leagues MVP this past season with the Dodgers Advanced Single-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. Although the 22-year-old slugger will probably begin the 2018 season at Double-A Tulsa, he will undoubtedly see some playing time with the big league club this spring. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)
And it doesn’t end here. Over the past week there have been rumors that the Dodgers are kicking the tires on possibly signing veteran free agent outfielder Lorenzo Cain and/or negotiating a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates for perennial All-Star outfielder Andrew McCutchen. The concern, of course, is that neither of 31-year-old veterans will come cheap – Cain in cold, hard free agent dollars and McCutchen in top-tier Dodgers prospects. That being said and with the Dodgers being extremely cognizant of remaining below the current luxury tax threshold, a trade for McCutchen seems far more likely than what would an undoubtedly hefty free agent signing of Cain.
But there is one thing that you can absolutely positively count on with the Dodgers set to open spring training camp in a little over a month; the competition for the Dodgers three everyday outfield spots and what figures to be two back-up outfield / bench role spots will be intense this spring.
…just as it should be.
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Thanks for the Dodgers outfield depth chart. Dodgers do look deep in young talented outfielders.
Stanton would have been nice, but only if trading for him solved the luxury tax hit. Yelich would also be nice, but the price appears to be to high. Cain, who will be 32 next season will be too costly in years and money, let somebody else regret signing him to a long-term contract. Trading for McCutchen, who has one-year left at $14M, might be someone the Dodgers would be interested in, but at what cost, lets roll with what we have in the outfield. Lots of options.
I hope if the Dodgers are talking with the Pirates it’s about Gerrit Cole. That’s where I want to hear some rumors, a stud starting pitcher or TWO is what Dodgers need, oh and maybe more bullpen help.
Gerrit Cole, 27 years old and a former #1 pick with 2 years of arb left would seem to fit perfectly with the 2018 and 2019 Dodgers. We got the prospects lets get that done.
There has been some light chatter about the Dodgers being interested in Garret Cole, but nothing has actually taken shape yet in that regard.
My preference would be Jake Arrieta, although here again, he wouldn’t come cheap in money or years.
I DO think that the next two or three weeks are going to get crazy all across the MLB in trades and FA signings. It should be interesting.
Can’t we have both?
Here is the latest from MLB Rumors.
The latest on the North Siders comes from Bruce Levine of CBS Chicago…
To this point, the Cubs and Cardinals have shown the most interest in free agent right-hander Jake Arrieta, according to Levine. The Cubs reportedly may be willing to offer a four-year, $110MM contract to the soon-to-be 32-year-old Arrieta, who mostly thrived with the team from 2013-17.
Arrieta might make sense at the above price range, if Dodgers can do it and stay under luxury tax.
Forgot, I still hate to give up the draft picks for Arrieta. How about Darvish?
I have to admit, I do throw-up a little every time I think of Darvish.
Darvish is a good choice for the right price in $ and contract years. Love to have him pitching in place of Ryu.
more to the cost for Arrieta than just the contract. Dodgers above competitive balance tax threshold last season would forfeit its 2nd and 5th highest draft picks in the June 2018 entry draft AND lose $1MM in international bonus pool. I don’t see Dodgers willing to take those losses to sign Arrieta or any other player who received a qualifying offer in 2017.
Right now it seems that the only competition is in LF with Puig and Taylor as the starting RF and CF’ers against all pitching in 2018. Unless something happens to Forsythe or Seager that forces Taylor back to the infield it seems to me that Toles and Pederson battling for the LF position which they will share with Kiké Hernandez unless another OF’er is acquired. I still believe Yelich will be traded and Dodgers are in excellent position to make that deal with its strong group of prospects.
I think Verdugo might outperform both Toles and Pederson and be the opening day left fielder.
Even if he has a great ST I think Verdugo is destined to start the season at OKC (barring trades and/or injuries to Puig, Taylor, Toles, or Pederson). I think Dodgers will give Toles and Pederson early season opportunities to play regularly with Verdugo playing and hitting every game at OKC. Remember how well Toles started last season? He has worked hard to rehab and as long as he is healthy I hope to see him in LF even if he shares the position with Kiké Hernandez.
Toles in left, Joc in another uniform.
25 yr old Pederson can definitely be frustrating, but the talent is there. Maybe with the front office pushing him to get in top shape and getting married will help him reach his potential. With three years of arbitration left, I don’t think Pederson is going anywhere right now, unless the return is VERY high. That said, we are deep in young, cheap, talented left-handed hitting outfielders, but none with Pederson’s power potential. Who’s trade value is highest between now and the trade deadline and how best to maximize it?
JMO, but Pederson’s conditioning issue pales in comparison to his hitting mechanics and consistent approach. Pederson had the opportunity after 2015 to rebuild his swing from the ground up (literally if you watch the lower half of his body when swinging) but it seems that he only gave lip service to the effort. Great talent going to waste is tough to watch — if not traded then I expect this ST and season is the last chance for Pederson to wear Dodgers blue.
I agree with everything you said SoCalBum, his lack of focus is VERY frustrating.
The conditioning does pale in comparison to his problem of not using a “consistent approach to his hitting mechanics”. Maybe FAZ is trying the Puig treatment on him. The concentration/focus required to get in TOP shape could also help develop the concentration/focus/discipline needed to better work on hitting mechanics. FAZ asked Puig to get in better shape a couple years ago, he now seems more focused on his hitting mechanics. They both got sent back to the minors, I hope the results are the same for Pederson as Puig.
Bottom line for me, at 25 and three years of arb, he is CHEAP, might figure it out, and is a very valuable trade piece. I believe that FAZ will hang with him, at least another year, unless he can bring something VERY good back in return.
I would love to see the Dodgers make a play for an outfielder like Andrew McCutchen.
I would rather see Dodgers pay more (in terms of prospects) and acquire Yelich than McCutchen. Gerrit Cole in Dodgers blue would be a good move to replace Ryu in the rotation.
I’ve always been a big ‘Cannon Ball Coming’ Andrew McCutchen fan, but entering his age 31 season, there’s a pretty good chance that his best days are now behind him – especially with the long-term contract that he will be seeking and will undoubtedly get.