The Los Angeles Dodgers created a need in center field when they non-tendered Cody Bellinger last month, which immediately made him a free agent.
Bellinger was projected to receive $18 to $20 million in his final time going through salary arbitration. The Dodgers had interest in re-signing the former National League MVP, but there was a relatively robust market that led to Bellinger signing a one-year, $17.5 million contract with the Chicago Cubs.
As the Dodgers remained in the market for a center fielder, they were among the teams with reported interest in Kevin Kiermaier.
They remained involved for the 32-year-old, but Kiermaier chose to sign with the Toronto Blue Jays instead of the Dodgers, according to Juan Toribio of MLB.com:
#Dodgers made a really strong push for Kevin Kiermaier, who was their top target in center. It came down to those two teams. But Kiermaier, who lives in Tampa, elected to stay in the AL East. https://t.co/e71j4Of4XV
— Juan Toribio (@juanctoribio) December 10, 2022
Up to this point Kiermaier has spent all 10 of his seasons with with the Tampa Bay Rays. He was drafted by the organization while Andrew Friedman was Rays executive vice president of baseball operations and general manager.
Kiermaier developed a reputation for being a standout defensive center fielder while his bat has largely lagged behind. He’s a career .248/.308/.407 batter with 82 home runs, 316 RBI, 410 runs scored, 112 stolen bases, 97 wRC+ and 23.3 WAR in 914 games.
Kiermaier has won three Gold Glove Awards in addition to a Platinum Glove. Kiermaier has produced 71 outs above average since Statcast began tracking the category in 2016.
He additionally ranked in the 92nd percentile of arm strength over the past three seasons with an elite sprint speed that was in the 93rd percentile over the past two years.
Dodgers options in center field
With Bellinger, Kiermaier and Brandon Nimmo no longer free agents, potential options for the Dodgers in center field are Rafael Ortega, Odúbel Herrera, Bradley Zimmer, Adam Engel, Lorenzo Cain and Jake Marisnick, among others.
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