Much of the offseason talk surrounding the Dodgers has been about the aim to improve the bullpen.
There’s a real need to add multiple high-leverage arms from the right side. With Kirby Yates and Michael Kopech leaving for free agency, Blake Treinen aging, and Evan Phillips suddenly no longer with the ballclub, there’s no secret the team needs help in this specific area.
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Andy McCullough of The Athletic had spent several years of his career covering the Dodgers. He’s very dialed into the team’s ecosystem. McCullough recently wrote an article in which he listed one free agent for each franchise as a ‘Black Friday’ deal. When it came to the Boys in Blue, San Diego Padres closer Robert Suarez ended up being his top choice.
“’Need’ is a relative term for a club coming off consecutive championships, so let’s go with the softer, less pressing, more optionality-friendly usage of ‘would like to.’ The Dodgers would like to improve their outfield and find a closer. The team would prefer to get younger around the diamond, although that is a hard thing to accomplish through free agency. Tucker would be an excellent fit as the World’s Best Paid No. 5 Hitter, but the Dodgers may prefer to just drive up the price for someone else. Same story with Edwin Díaz: do the Dodgers really want to enter another long-term pact with a reliever after watching Tanner Scott combust in 2025?
“Of course, Díaz has a much more accomplished resume than Scott. But so does Suarez, and he’ll likely cost less, for fewer years, than Díaz. A splash — or, really, multiple splashes — is always possible for the Ohtani Era Dodgers, but let’s keep it more reasonable, for the purposes of this exercise.”
Suarez is a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to potentially bringing him on. From a positive standpoint, he has accrued 76 saves over the last two years. His fastball also ranks in the 97th percentile. However, he is turning 35 next season and will likely want a multi-year deal. This past year, Suarez allowed hard-hit contact at a very alarming rate. One would think that could continue as he continues to climb into his mid-30s.
As is always the case with the Dodgers, they will operate with the goal of getting the most value out of any transaction. If Suarez can be had at a reasonable rate, he may be an option. If he’s seeking a deal north of two years worth $12-15 million a season, it would be a surprise if Los Angeles acquiesced.
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Photo Credit: Dennis Poroy-Imagn Images
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