Dodgers Offseason: Expect More Trades Than Free Agents, Insider Says
The Dodgers currently have holes at shortstop, center field, and starting pitching, at least, and with the Winter Meetings coming up, they’re likely to start plugging some of those holes soon. The question is, will they fill them through trades, free agency, or internal options?
Los Angeles beat writer Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic was on SportsNetLA’s Access Dodgers on Tuesday night, and he suggests the trade route might be their dominant approach this offseason.
“I think they’re going to be looking at trades a lot. I think you sort of look at it last year at the trade deadline, they were really in on Pablo Lopez. They didn’t get a deal done, the asking price was really high, but he’s still someone they’re going to be looking at. Corbin Burnes, I know the Brewers say they’re not going to move him, but they’re going to say that about every guy until they get the right asking price. Same thing with Shohei Ohtani out there.
“They’re going to be looking at trades. They’re also going to be looking at free agency. Jacob deGrom is a notable guy out there besides Justin Verlander. They’re going to be creative and they also can be looking at how they went about last year with the rotation. They signed Tyler Anderson, they signed Andrew Heaney. Turned those guys into guys who are in line to make a lot more money this point than they did last year.”
Ardaya doesn’t rule out free agents, of course, but the trade market makes sense with L.A.’s glut of prospect capital. Free agents only cost money, but if you can get someone who costs less money in exchange for prospects you don’t have room for anyway, it’s a viable approach.
Time will tell how things turn out, but hopefully the Winter Meetings in San Diego starting this weekend will give us some hints (and some news).
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Actually not all free agents only cost money now. If they receiver’s the QO they cost draft picks and international pool money. There are only a handful every season, but they are the creme of the crop. So thinking any tax team signing 2 of those players with poor farm system is not likely to happen. Unless one of those players resigns, then it’s possible to get the second. But how many teams can afford what the Rangers did last year 500mm for 2 middle infielders.
MLB is like real estate. Pitching, pitching, pitching.
It will be interesting to see what happens.
I know that it will not happen, but, what if the Dodgers go into 2023 and do not make any player moves. I can see where they could be very very competitive. Btw, I used “very very” with respect to Tommy Lasorda who thought that “very very” was one word. Tommy could not just say “very”. I miss Tommy…… very very much………..