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Dodgers Rumors: Focus On Addressing Bullpen, Catcher Position

Matthew Moreno
2 Min Read
Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

After agreeing to a three-year contract extension with Clayton Kershaw and Hyun-Jin Ryu accepting the qualifying offer, the Los Angeles Dodgers have a starting rotation that should be among the best in baseball in 2019.

Beyond that, some questions remain with various aspects of the roster. The outfield remains a bit of a crowded picture, while the bullpen has voids that must be addressed, and depth at catcher is essentially nonexistent.

Whereas Ryu accepted the one-year, $17.9 million contract to remain with the Dodgers, Yasmani Grandal predictably declined the club’s qualifying offer. He is eligible to re-sign with the Dodgers under different terms, but that wouldn’t appear to be a likely scenario.

According to Jon Heyman of Fancred, as free agency and the MLB Hot Stove season begins to heat up, the Dodgers are focused on their bullpen and catcher position:

Of the seven players who became a free agent the morning after the World Series concluded, three — John Axford, Daniel Hudson and Ryan Madson — are from the bullpen. The unit finished with a 3.72 ERA and .689 opponents’ on-base plus slugging percentage, both of which ranked eighth overall.

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and former general manager acknowledged the bullpen was an area that could be addressed this winter, but they didn’t necessarily believe doing so needed to be by spending lavishly.

Matthew Moreno is a journalist from Whittier, Calif., who is a credentialed reporter and is currently the Managing Editor of DodgerBlue.com and LakersNation.com. In addition to covering Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angels Lakers, Matthew has a strong passion for keeping up to date with the sneakerhead culture. It began with Michael Jordan and Air Jordan shoes, and has carried over to Kobe Bryant's signature line with Nike. Matthew previously was the lead editor and digital strategist at Dodgers Nation, and the co-editor and lead writer at Reign of Troy, where he covered USC Trojans Football. Matthew graduated from California State Long Beach University with a major in journalism and minor in communications. Contact: matt@mediumlargela.com