Dodgers News: Dodgers Seeking Position Player After Díaz Signing
The Dodgers have their eyes on a position player next
LOS ANGELES, CA—Although the Los Angeles Dodgers caused a surprise at the Winter Meetings in Orlando, Florida, by signing All-Star closer Edwin Díaz to a 3-year, $69 million contract, they are still working on completing their roster this winter.
With Andrew Friedman and Co. having completed acquiring a late-inning right-handed bullpen option, their next focus is on adding a position player, ideally an outfielder.
Over the past few weeks, the Dodgers have been connected to several players on the free agent and trade markets, including high-profile targets like Kyle Tucker and the possibility of reuniting with 2019 National League MVP Cody Bellinger.
Friedman is confident the team will eventually acquire a player who performs well on both offense and defense, but he asks fans to be patient, even though another major move isn’t impossible.
In an interview with SportsNet LA, Friedman had this to say:
“I think adding a position player, and ideally someone that’s really good on both sides of the ball. We have some positional flexibility, so we’re not locked into, ‘It has to be this one specific spot,’ which just increases the chances. There are a lot of interesting guys, both on the free agent market and trade market, that we’re having a lot of active conversations on. We feel good about something lining up, but we may have to be a little bit patient.”
The Dodgers’ interest in Tucker is something to keep an eye on, as no team has yet offered the long-term contract his camp is probably looking for.
Katie Woo of The Athletic stated in his previous column that Los Angeles would only be interested in a short-term high-AAV deal with Tucker, similar to the contract Alex Bregman signed last season with the Boston Red Sox, and they’d likely only offer Bellinger a 2-3 year deal also.
If that doesn’t work out, the Dodgers might explore the trade market. They’ve already been linked to Steven Kwan of the Cleveland Guardians and Brendan Donovan of the St. Louis Cardinals. The latter has been closely associated with Seattle or San Francisco.
Although Friedman did not explicitly state the team’s desire for an outfielder only, they could prudently sign an infielder since there might be an available spot at second base if Tommy Edman is healthy enough to play center field. How about Bo Bichette?
Still, with the holidays approaching, some free agents and trade targets should fall off the board before then and likely resume at the start of the New Year.
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