Relief Pitching
Failed catcher Kenley Jansen is also a free agent. The 29-year-old from Curacao has been the third-best relief pitcher in the Majors since 2010, according to fWAR. He was the best reliever this year by that same metric. For those reasons alone, the Dodgers should re-sign Jansen.
But, alas, it may be considered imprudent for them to spend their precious little luxury tax room on a relief pitcher. The Dodgers will have just under $40 million to spend this offseason to remain below the $235 million benchmark, which is where the “competitive balance” penalties really start adding up.
Are they going to dedicate half of that to Jansen? If they don’t, they’ll have to get creative.
Inquire about Alex Colome when they call the Rays about their young starters. Ask about Tyler Thornburg and Jeremy Jeffress if the Ryan Braun talks reheat with the Milwaukee Brewers. Or Farhan Zaidi could call up his old boss in Oakland and ask about the bullpen arms they’ve been hoarding up there, like Sean Doolittle, Liam Hendriks and Ryan Dull.
Dull might be the best adjective to describe the Dodgers’ trade options, but again, don’t look for them to spend big here if they don’t re-sign Jansen.
Yes, Los Angeles nearly traded for Aroldis Chapman and yes, Mark Melancon could prove to be a cheaper, fallback option. But unless the organization is willing to bite the bullet on luxury tax penalties in 2017, the last place they’ll look to add significant payroll is in the bullpen.
Second Base
With the surprise trade of Howie Kendrick to the Phillies last month, the Dodgers are suddenly without a starting second baseman. Chase Utley may be re-signed for his intangibles, but he’s not a starter.
The team does have internal options in Kiké Hernandez, Micah Johnson, Willie Calhoun and, to get really creative, Austin Barnes. But odds are that the Dodgers will look outside the organization for short-term help.
Neil Walker would have been an interesting solution had he not accepted the New York Mets’ qualifying offer. The rest of the free agent crop is barren.
Again reverting back to the Rays, they have Logan Forsythe. He went from utility player in 2014 to a four-win player in 2015. Forsythe primarily plays second base but also has some reps at third. He’s signed through next season, with an option for 2018.
Moving to the American League Central, there are a pair of second basemen who could fit into the Dodgers’ plans. Veteran Ian Kinsler produced yet another strong campaign in 2016, posting a 5.8 fWAR while hitting 28 home runs. Like Forsythe, Kinsler is signed for 2017 with a 2018 option.
In the Twin Cities, Brian Dozier had a power surge of his own, clubbing 42 homers. He snuck just past Kinsler in fWAR (5.9 to 5.8), and is signed for two more years at a total of $15 million.
The second base market is probably the most interesting, but it would come at significant cost in terms of prospects. Forsythe would likely be a package deal, while Dozier and Kinsler are two of the best position players in the league.
Prospect hoarders like myself would likely have to wear black armbands after a deal for one of these options comes to fruition.
CONTINUE READING: Third base, Outfield And Analysis
