The Los Angeles Dodgers made one splash already amid the MLB Winter Meetings, signing close Edwin Diaz to a three-year, $69 million deal, though the wait for another move has been long.
Other than re-signing utility player Miguel Rojas to his last deal before retiring, the Dodgers have been quiet.
In fairness to the front office, much of the league has been at a standstill as key free-agent players remain unsigned, most notably Kyle Tucker and Bo Bichette, both of whom are available.
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However, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the wait is set to end soon, as the hot stove is expected to be lit soon.
When asked by Dodgers Nation’s very own Doug McKain about when these big names like Tucker and Bichette should end up signing deals, Nightengale believes things will start picking up after arbitration on Thursday, Jan. 8.
“Beginning next week. Remember tomorrow, Thursday, is arbitration day. So all these GMs, agents, and players are involved in arbitration day,” Nightengale said.
“So this week is kind of shot. So I would think next week, maybe even over the weekend, things will start to pick up. At least, some of these guys will start dropping. And then once the big guys drop, then I think the smaller guys will go.”
While the Dodgers have the money in hand to make the signings, the organization has been steadfast in waiting for an opportunity to present itself rather than chasing or dealing out of desperation.
Los Angeles wants to sign players on short-term, high-salary deals that leave flexibility for other moves down the road.
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Players, especially with a whole new collective bargaining agreement coming soon, want long-term security baked into their contracts, leading to hesitance to accept the Dodgers’ conditions, even if it nets them more money in the short term.
However, as more time passes and long-term offers fail to materialize, the Dodgers’ offer becomes increasingly appealing, especially since players can talk themselves into playing well throughout the deal and securing another big contract.
Both Kyle Tucker and Bo Bichette offer the Dodgers an upgrade in the lineup and defense — in Tucker’s case — but there are other considerations for the team to make.
The Dodgers have a good farm system, and they could lean on organization depth rather than taking on more money, giving them time to see if a trade pops up before the MLB trade deadline.
Luckily for fans, there should be answers about where these players will land very soon.
Photo Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
One Response
Bring back Belli.