Editorials

Dodgers Rumors: L.A. Interested in Free Agent Slugger Chris Carter

After signing Sergio Romo Monday afternoon, conventional wisdom said the Dodgers were set heading into spring training. That would apparently be incorrect.

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports dropped an interesting nugget Monday evening, saying the Dodgers have checked in with free agent first baseman Chris Carter.



The Dodgers, believe it or not, checked in on Carter, who remains a free agent after hitting 41 homers with an .821 OPS — and leading the NL by a wide margin with 206 strikeouts,” Rosenthal writes. “A deal appears unlikely; the Dodgers, who again project to be above the luxury-tax threshold, must pay a 50 percent tax on every dollar they spend above the limit, and might be subject to an additional surtax as well.”

Rosenthal opines Carter won’t get the playing time he’s looking for in L.A. He said the Dodgers would play him against lefties and occasionally let him roam left field.

[graphiq id=”lgtSSmZaOcR” title=”Chris Carter” width=”600″ height=”814″ url=”https://w.graphiq.com/w/lgtSSmZaOcR” ]

Carter’s agent stressed the importance of playing time, and that has his client considering offers in Japan. Rosenthal adds even without the unlikely addition of Carter, the Dodgers could reduce the at-bats Adrian Gonzales sees versus left-handers this season. Gonzalez has struggled against lefties two of the last three years, last season hitting .244 with a .602 OPS against southpaws.

The Dodgers’ exploration of Carter is likely nothing more than due diligence, but it shows Andrew Friedman and company are still investigating any possible opportunity to bolster the lineup.

Sergio Romo took less money to wear Dodger blue

Gabe Burns

Gabe Burns is an award-winning journalist. He serves as a reporter and editor at the DodgersNation news desk. He additionally works as editor-in-chief of The Spectator, Valdosta State University's student paper. Gabe's work has been featured on a number of platforms, including Draft Breakdown and Pro Football Spot. His byline has been cited in media such as the New York Times, Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune. Aside from covering Dodgers baseball, Gabe enjoys watching the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Orlando Magic and Tampa Bay Lightning. He can be followed on Twitter at @GabeBurns_DN.

One Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top button