Dodgers Team News

Dodgers: Finding Free Agent Fits for LA Based on Who’s Left on the Market

As we head into the new calendar year, the free-agent market has been severely depleted. According to MLB Trade Rumors, 47 of their top 50 free agents (and many of their honorable mentions) have signed, leaving just a handful of quality players left on the market.

Let’s take a look and see if any of those remaining free agents could make the Dodgers a better team for 2023.



33. Jurickson Profar

Profar isn’t a superstar but he succeeds in enough different ways to be useful. FanGraphs pegged him as being worth 2.5 wins above replacement in 2022. It’s also possible that the upcoming shift limitations benefit his contact-based approach.

While Profar has played many positions in his career, he’s essentially just a left-fielder at this point. As MLBTR points out, the defensive metrics are split on him, and it’s unclear whether he’ll hit enough to justify an everyday job in left field. And without defensive flexibility, his value as a bench player goes way down.

39. Andrew Chafin

Over the past six years, Chafin has been one of the best relievers in the sport, with his left-handedness only making him more appealing. He has a 3.05 ERA in that time, striking out 26.9% of batters faced, walking 8.8% of them and getting grounders on 48.7% of balls in play.

Chafin could definitely help the Dodgers, but MLBTR is prediction a two-year, $18 million contract for the lefty. That’s more than L.A. is likely to pay for a 33-year-old reliever, and probably more than they should. It’s unclear whether his remaining availability is a sign that he might not make that much, but if his asking price comes down, Los Angeles could get involved (especially if the Trevor Bauer situation makes getting under the luxury tax an impossibility anyway).

41. Michael Wacha

Wacha, 31, posted ERAs of 4.76, 6.62 and 5.05 in the previous three seasons but got that mark down to 3.32 in 2022. That was encouraging but might not be entirely sustainable. His .260 BABIP and 80.3% strand rate surely helped him offset a pedestrian 20.2% strikeout rate and 41% ground ball rate. He did avoid the free passes, however, limiting them to a 6% rate, and was in the 70th percentile in terms of hard hit rate.

The only way the Dodgers would be interested in Wacha is if they think they’ve identified something they think they can fix (or at least maintain his 2022 performance). MLBTR is predicting a two-year, $16 million deal, and that sounds more like a team paying for his 2022 performance than a low-risk project.

Honorable Mention: Elvis Andrus

Andrus, 34, was miserable at the plate from 2018 to 2021 but is coming off a nice bounceback. He hit 17 home runs in 2022 and finished with a batting line of .249/.303/.404 for a wRC+ of 105. He also stole 18 bases and was considered an above-average defensive shortstop by Ultimate Zone Rating and Outs Above Average.

Andrus isn’t the answer at starting shortstop. He could be a decent option as a backup utility infielder if they think he can play other positions, but he’s probably just not a fit.

Honorable Mention: Johnny Cueto

Cueto, 37 in February, is coming off his strongest season in years. He tossed 158 1/3 innings for the White Sox in 2022, his highest such tally since 2016. His 3.35 ERA was also his lowest since that time, outside of a 3.23 mark over a nine-start showing in 2018. His 15.7% strikeout rate this year was well below average but he kept his walks to a 5.1% rate and was good at limiting hard contact.

Cueto is an interesting option if the Dodgers decide to go with a six-man rotation. The price would have to be right, and he’d likely just be holding down a spot until Bobby Miller and/or Gavin Stone are ready at some point, but they could do worse than Cueto at the right price.

Honorable Mention: Zack Greinke

Greinke is now 39 and isn’t the ace he once was, but he’s still got a knack for keeping runs off the board. He posted a 3.68 ERA across 137 innings and 26 starts in 2022. His 12.5% strikeout rate was barely half the league average but he kept walks down to a 4.6% rate and had a 60th percentile barrel rate.

All the words I typed about Cueto above? They mostly apply to Greinke, too, with the added benefit that Zack is likable.

Among the semi-big-name free agents, that’s about the only options left for the Dodgers. None of them seem extremely likely, but there are some interesting possibilities.

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Jeff Snider

Jeff was born into a Dodgers family in Southern California and is now raising a Dodgers family of his own in Utah. During his previous career as an executive at a technology company, he began writing about baseball in his spare time. After leaving corporate America in 2014, he started doing it professionally. Jeff wrote and edited for Baseball Essential for years before joining Dodgers Nation. He's also the co-host of the Locked On Dodgers podcast, a daily podcast that brings the smart fan's perspective on our Boys in Blue. Jeff has a degree in English from Brigham Young University. Favorite Player: Clayton Kershaw Favorite Moment: Kirk Gibson's homer will always have a place, but Kershaw's homer on Opening Day 2013 might be the winner.

4 Comments

  1. The Dodgers seem to be slightly over the CBT threshold. So, no to them all. And are any of them really better options than letting the kids play? Probably not. Due to the Trevor Bauer ruling, the kids are going to be promoted sooner than anticipated. Some of the many promising AAA pitchers will have to be the back ups when pitchers, starters and relievers, get injured. Vargas, Outman and Busch have to play. The Dodgers will not win 111 games this year. Martinez and Muncy platoon at DH. Outman and Thompson platoon in center field. Chris Taylor and Busch platoon at 2d base. Who plays left field? Or Chris Taylor, Gavin Lux platoon at shortstop. They need one more position player at minimum pay. Barnes and Will Smith are the catchers. Freeman Busch, Luz, Vargas, Taylor are the infielders. Betts, Outman, Thompson outfielders. Muncy (infield) and Martinez (outfield) DH. One spot left for an outfielder or utility player who can pitch in garbage time. Some back ups needed at AAA when there are injuries. Martinez is going to have to play some innings in left or right field. Of course a trade for Brian Reynolds would fix things, but the CBT threshold is the problem there.

  2. Face facts kids. 23’ is a luxury tax reset year. And remember, if Dodgers release Bauer they still have to pay him!

  3. Why release Bauer, put him to work, he’ll have
    to prove his ability and stamina, but he’s not
    the monster San Diego’s favorite stump wants
    us to believe. So put him to work. Give Pages
    an opportunity along with Outman, Vargas,
    Busch and the other young ones..

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