November 6th, 2020 at 9:30 am 
by 0799291000348 Needless to say, these are unprecedented times in which the Dodgers prepare to defend their 2020 World Championship. Although the team is one of the wealthiest in the sport, prudent business decisions must be made with the possibility that seats in Dodger Stadium will once again be filled with cardboard cutouts in an abbreviated 2021 season. And looming in the background is the uncertainty surrounding union negotiations for a renewal collective bargaining agreement in December 2021.
Save for free agent third baseman Justin Turner, the Dodgers return their core group of players who won 71 percent of 2020 regular-season games and 72 percent of the 18 postseason games. Under the current circumstances, it is unlikely that the team will sign an elite free agent, like starting pitcher Trevor Bauer, to an expensive, multi-year contract; the team needs a minor tuneup, not an overhaul. Instead, look for the Dodgers to re-sign a couple of its own free agents, with Justin Turner at the top of the to-do list, and tweaking the roster in its quest for back-to-back World Championships?
Starting Pitchers
Why would the Dodgers pursue another starting pitcher for the 2021 roster? After all, the Dodgers have a remarkable group of talented, veteran pitchers (Walker Buehler, Clayton Kershaw, David Price, and Julio Urías), and precocious pitching prospects (Josiah Gray, Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May, and possibly Brusdar Graterol) for the rotation. That is eight potential starters, but in a normal season, the Dodgers have, on average, used ten starters. And some of these young pitchers may be needed in the bullpen to replace Blake Treinen, Pedro Baez, Jake McGee, and Alex Wood, who are all free agents.
The old baseball axiom that a team can never have too much pitching remains true today. As Dodgers Chairman Mark Walter has said, “Pitchers break.” And there is the possibility that the 2021 MLB season will continue to be played under the dark cloud of a global pandemic. As you will recall, David Price opted out of the 2020 abbreviated season for COVID-19 safety concerns.
What about a pitcher with the following background: “Over the last four years, he’s compiled a 3.34 ERA, 3.27 FIP, …with strikeouts — 28.4% and 10.6 per nine innings — and with grounders — his 1.61 GB/FB ratio helps him suppress home runs to the tune of 0.73 per nine innings.” (Ben Clemens – Fangraphs) And, he has been dominant in the postseason: Charlie Morton.
Morton continues to light-up the speed gun, attacks hitters and remains effective through six innings. Yes, he will be 37-years old on November 12, 2020, and had some shoulder issues during the just-completed cardboard season, so a thorough physical would be mandatory before completing any deal. MLB Trade Rumors predicts a one-year/$8 million contract for 2021. It might take a little more to entice him to move to the West Coast, but a starting pitcher that would allow May, Gonsolin, Graterol, and possibly Gray to pitch out of the bullpen makes the entire pitching staff that much better.
One alternative to Morton is 28-year old, 6’ 4” right-handed pitcher Taijuan Walker, who has not yet lived up to his huge potential. Injured in 2018 and 2019 (Tommy John surgery), Walker pitched well in 2020 for the Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays. Under the tutelage of Driveline, and the Dodgers pitching coaches, Walker could be a low cost/high reward signing.
Which free agent starting pitchers, if any, do you think the team should sign?
Next, we will look at free agent relievers, infielders, and outfielders.
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I would resign Alex Wood.
The ball was flying out of his hand. He looked the best since his 14 win season. Plus he’s a great post season performer.
Too expensive and last 3 years injury-prone. Look how many innings he gave us this year a bad back is not a good thing
You took the words right off my keyboard. If Wood was healthy he would not have been a Dodger last year, he would have been a full time starter somewhere else for a lot more than $4M. I am a Wood fan, but with his recent injury history a team cannot count on him. His best move is to go full time to the bullpen.
Why? No really Why? The Dodgers have a rotation, if Price opts in, of Kershaw, Price, Bueler, Urias and their choise of May and or Gonsolin. Plus they have players White, Gray, Santana and others in the wings. Why?
The Dodgers have Luxury Tax issues why sign someone that fills a spot that is strong?
If you are determined to sign someone sign DJ Lamhaieu he fills a weaker area in that he can play 2nd or 3rd.
I think signing Walker would be great. I have seen him play ball here is SoCal and if he can get back to his early Seattle days or even his days with when he was traded to AZ he would be a great fit. I like the fact that we can have Gonslin May Gray Santana and White out of the pen as we are losing a lot due to free agency. I would not resign Wood. He is not the pitcher he once was. The Dodgers need to solidify the closer’s roll as well Jansen is not the answer.
I prefer the known quantity of Charlie Morton for one year, but would not be disappointed if Walker is signed. I believe the Dodgers pitching coaches working with Driveline could be what it takes for Walker to reach his vast potential.
Charlie Morton will either stay with Tampa Bay or retire because he lives there and doesn’t want to move from his family.
Excellent points, that is why I included that it might take more money for him to play for Dodgers.
“If Price opts in…” — that”if” is one of the reasons I believe Dodgers will sign an additional starting pitcher. Number of starters the Dodgers have used each season under Friedman and Roberts: 2016 – 13, with 2 other starts as bullpen games; 2017 – 10; 2018 – 11; 2019 – 11. History shows us that the Dodgers use a lot of starters in a normal season. Currently, the Dodgers only have 8 pitchers who would considered starters. Remember that Kershaw misses starts because of back stiffness. Buehler will get time off to prevent blister issues, and conserve innings for post season. Those are the reasons I believe the team will sign (or trade) for another starter. DJL would be a terrific addition to the team, but I believe the Yankees will re-sign him. The Dodgers stayed below the CBT in 2019 (and I believe in 2020), so they are not likely concerned with going over in 2021.
That’s an excellent idea he is young healthy and would make the Dodgers better.
Trade Price and Jensen. Sign FA Bauer, Yates and Hand.
@Dodgers @buehlersdayoff is a veteran?
Goodevening and i say they need to try and sign Bauer due to Kershaw is not the best of all other pitchers. He can hardly make thru the 6th inning and he now gives up homer after homer.And Jansen needs to go and all the staff does the same thing Kershaw does with Homers. First thing they need to do is fire Roberts because he has no trust in every player on our Dodgers He does not let any pitcher throw a complete game so he can bring in his favorite losers to come in and blow the game for the starting pitcher. Look at all the games they lost just this year alone. Just think how many wins we would have if loser Roberts was gone and bring in s new manager. Now they should make a big trade for Lindor right off. You know what kinda batting order other teams would play us. So now they need to sign Bauer and trade for Lindor. Fire.Roberts
John, is your first premise not contradictory to your second? I completely agree that Jansen should never be allowed to pitch, we’ve all known this for years that he is a shell of his former self. Kershaw is the equivalent of a professor emeritus, and the Dodgers would never get rid of him (CY Young, MVP, future HOF’er, WS Champion, etc.). Was his record in the abbreviated season not 6-2 with a low 2 ERA? Those are stats pitchers would kill for, and you’re taking him for granted and that is the most pompous, stupid thing a fan can do.
Lindor? Yeah, that would be great. If they got rid of a large chunk of the players that are the bedrock foundations of the team for the next 5-10 years. Remember, if we had gotten Lindor, we would have lost Seager. Losing the NLCS and WS MVP may not seem like a huge deal to you, but I can tell you it is.
So, fire Roberts. I’ve been thinking on this for a while and I truly believe that almost half of the managers in MLB, if given the roster the Dodgers possessed, would have more than one WS ring. But, because the Dodgers won it this year, the optics would look just terrible and I’d be worried that it would effect other players and managers even slightly from wanting to sign with the Dodgers. So he gets a reprieve, for better or worse. I only say this because why are they paying millions of dollars each year to a puppet? It seems very wasteful. He has very little “feel for the game” and to an almost disturbing degree (I can only talk about this because the Dodgers won the WS in spite of his terrible ideas), when he watched the Jansen tape that was atrocious, changed his tune the next day, and allowed him to blow a three(?) run lead the following game.
The good news: The Dodgers are WS champs for the first time in 32 years, and the Asstros can go cry about how good they are like Correa did when their sub-.500 team beat the Toronto Blue Jays in the very first round of the extended playoffs (for which they would not be eligible to enter in any other year in baseball’s history). The Dodgers have a bunch of young studs, on both the pitching staff and position players. Funny enough, if AJ Preller down in San Diego keeps spending money like the Padres never have in their entire history, they might be (along with the Braves), the only real competition for the Dodgers in the Nationsl League.
Peace.
The Dodgers will re sign Turner. Let Kike and Joc walk and get a reliever for Lux maybe a Josh Hader. I like Bauer but he will cost alot I think he’s going to stay with the Reds I say we go after a guy who can eat up innings maybe Marcus Stroman or Mike Minor. We will still be solid with pitching depth like that
Stroman is an interesting guy for the Dodgers to consider. He is so different than the other power arms in the rotation; he would give an opposing team a completely different look. I like Minor, but his velocity dropped significantly last season — and I don’t think the Dodgers want 4 lefties in the rotation. My prediction – the Giants sign Bauer to be their ace for next 3 to 4 years.
Dodgers don’t need a Starting Pitcher. May is a top of the rotation Ramon Martinez style pitcher.
Ck
Price
Buehler
Urias
May
Plus Gonsolin and White
No argument from me with the talent of May, Gonsolin, and Gray. But Dodgers history under Friedman is that the team uses 10 or more starters every regular season. Even in 2020 the team used 11 different starters in a 60-game season. The math for 10, or more, starters in 2021 does not add up. I will add that I saw a lot of frustration/dejection on the faces of May and Gonsolin in the post season. For their maturation as ML pitchers they may benefit from pitching out of the bullpen with occasional starts. Your guess is certainly as good as mine, we’ll see what happens in the next couple of months.
I honestly think we have the pitching depth but who can say when the injury bug might hurt us. We already have a potent offense and as you saw in the playoffs pitching wins games. You get another starter he doesn’t have to be a big name just an inning eater who can fill the shoes of guys that need rest or is on the IR. If anything Bauer wants to win and he’s not going to do that in SF so I can see him in LA or San Diego maybe even the Angels but eventually I think he stays put. I really want them to re sign Turner whos probably only going to get a 1 or 2 year deal anywhere else bcuz of his age but he knows he’s in a good place and in position to win another championship.
Excellent point about Bauer wanting to win now. I do not follow the Giants, but know that they are almost $100M below the 2021 CBT, so in a great position to spend on players who are difference makers on day 1.Buster Posey will return for next season (Pandemic permitting) and I can see them signing both Bauer and George Springer plus a couple of other lesser free agents like second baseman Kolten Wong which would be enough to get them into the playoffs. And, as we know — anything can happen in the playoffs.
They need a starter to replace Ryu and Maeda, which they did not do and did not need in a 60 game season last year (they still used 10 starters). They can afford 5 years of Bauer if they don’t sign Turner and the 6 other free agents. Morton at 37 and shoulder problems is too old. No starter on the free agent market other than Bauer is someone you want to start in the playoffs, which is what this is about, not trying to make a statement by winning 120 games. They can afford DJL also if they let the 7 free agents go, and he, too would help the Dodgers win in the playoffs. Look what a difference a star like Mookie made. The Dodgers should add stars, not good but second level players. They have many of those as very young players.
I think the Dodgers might sign Chris Archer to a low risk contract. He was an ace in Tampa when Andrew Friedman was in charge there. Perhaps Mark Prior or Rick Honeycutt can fix whatever flaw in his delivery affected him in Pittsburgh.
I thought about Archer until I read FanGraphs summary: “Archer didn’t throw a pitch for the Pirates in 2020, as he underwent surgery in early June to try to correct thoracic outlet syndrome. That malady has largely proven to be a career-killer for those who deal with it; coupled with Archer’s horrific 2019 numbers (a 5.19 ERA, 10.5% walk rate, and decreased fastball velocity)…” he will be lucky to get a minor league deal with spring training invite. I think Taijuan Walker is a much better option for Dodgers than Archer.
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Xm radio channel 89.
It might be broadcast on tv
Mlb network.
We should continue to groom our young guys, May and Gonsolin. Stay away from Bauer. He just had his career year. And look at his past. 9 years in the majors.7 full seasons with no injury problems. But here is the problem. FIVE seasons with an ERA north of 4.16!!! WOW! This last season was a shortened one which contributed to his success. Price will probably play. And May and Gonsolin finished 4 and 5 in ROY voting. I say go after relief. Resign Treinan. Resign Justin. And then look around the edges. Walker does sound like he could be had low with a high upside for insurance. Other than a few moves we have Gray, Ruiz, Busch, Cartaya,Lux and others knocking on the door. We are in great shape.
May I add, the team must sign Corey Seager to the extension he deserves – 10 years, $250M are nice round numbers. Indeed, this team is poised to win multiple World Series over the next several years.