Dodgers News: Hairston, Vassegh Both Expect Tyler Anderson Back in Blue in 2023

The Dodgers are facing a lot of tough roster questions this offseason. Will Trea Turner re-sign or depart in free agency? Should they go after Aaron Judge? Is Clayton Kershaw coming back for another year?

The Dodgers have a couple other left-handed free-agent starters, too, including the guy who led the team in innings pitched and finished fifth in the National League in ERA: Tyler Anderson.

Anderson signed a one-year deal with Los Angeles in March and proceeded to have the best season of his career. Now, heading into his age-33 season, he seems likely to get his first big payday. The question is, from whom?

On SNLA’s Access: SportsNet, David Vassegh thinks he’ll stay with the Dodgers.

“I firmly believe the Dodgers are going to offer the qualifying offer to Tyler Anderson — about $19 million. He has such great value, not only that 15-5 record, not only one of the lowest ERAs in the National League, but also he posts every fifth or sixth day.”

The qualifying offer is $19.65 million, which is more than Anderson has made in his entire career so far, so it would certainly be tempting. But there will also surely be multi-year deals available that would likely have lower average annual values but a higher overall payout.

Jerry Hairston Jr. agrees with Vassegh that Anderson would want to stay in L.A.

“I think if I’m TA, you want to stay here because now you’ve found a place where you’re comfortable. He loves pitching at Dodger Stadium. He loves the coaching staff. Him and Mark Prior have a tremendous rapport and you wanna stay in a place where you’ve had tremendous success.”

Host John Hartung followed up on the idea of the qualifying offer, asking if Anderson would really accept the one-year deal with multi-year offers likely. Vassegh thinks so.

“I think he would. He would accept it to stay with the Dodgers because he believes in what they teach as far as pitching.”

Anderson has clearly found a happy place in L.A., but the Dodgers will need to at least get close to what he could get elsewhere if they want to keep him. My guess is that they make him the QO and then they agree to a two- or three-year deal around $14 million per year.

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