Cody Snavely
The MLB Winter Meeting kicks off tomorrow, December 3rd, in Nashville, with many insiders around the league expecting trades and free-agent signings to explode after a slow start to the offseason. For the Dodgers, this is their “biggest” offseason in quite some time as the team is coming off back-to-back NLDS exits to divisional opponents, and fans are anxious for change. Here at DodgersBeat, I will break down the big Dodgers storylines and notes for this year’s meetings.
Ohtani sweepstakes coming to a close?
Arguably, the biggest free agent in the history of baseball is Shohei Ohtani. After spending the last six seasons with the freeway rival Angels, the star two-way player is finally on the open market, and odds are looking that a decision could come this week during the winter meetings. It is no secret that the Dodgers are in the Ohtani sweepstakes, and every insider has reported that they are not only in play for Ohtani but the overwhelming favorites to sign him.
Ohtani is unnecessary in a vacuum, especially with how the current Dodgers’ starting rotation looks going forward in 2024. However, after how the last two seasons have gone, fans, including myself, are ready for significant changes to the roster, and what better way to do that than to sign the best player in baseball? After the Dodger’s shocking loss to the eventual World Series Champion Washington Nationals, Andrew Freidman decided to make one of the biggest trades in Dodgers history, acquiring Mookie Betts from the Red Sox, which leaves me to believe that this front office and ownership are ok with making big moves when they need to.
The impact of an Ohtani is more than just a baseball move. In an article for the Athletic, Keith Law reported that Ohtani made the Angels around 70-100 million dollars in advertisements before taking an at-bat. Before his elbow surgery, many insiders were throwing $600 million out there for Ohtani, and it still seems he will get close to that. Ohtani is a once-in-a-lifetime baseball player, but he is also a living, breathing, and walking advertisement that will make up whatever his contract will be worth.
The Dodgers, however, do have their competition with teams such as the Blue Jays, Cubs, Giants, and Angels. However, many insiders around the league now are pointing to the Blue Jays and Dodgers as the last two teams bidding on his services, with the final teams heading out to meet with Ohtani this weekend at his home to submit their offers.
Dodgers need starting pitching. What are their options via trade?
While the Dodgers’ offseason plans are put on hold until Ohtani likely signs, the team urgently needs to start pitching, which cannot go undressed this winter. Fortunately for the Dodgers, many arms are available on the trade and free-agent market. However, the Dodgers are not the only team desperate for pitching in 2024.
In the trade market, the most prevalent names are Corbin Burnes and Tyler Glasnow, who both fit the Dodgers’ needs exceptionally well. The Dodgers virtually have the minor-league talent and depth to get any deal they want, but it isn’t as simple as that. While many around the league assumed the Brewers would be “tanking” and going into rebuild mode after former manager Craig Counsell left town, it is now looking like the opposite. The NL Central was one of the weaker divisions last season, and this Brewers team is very much the same and coming off a 92-win season. It has also been reported that the Brewers would likely wait until the trade deadline to move Burnes or Willy Adames if they are out of contention, as both players are free agents at the end of the season.
As for Tyler Glasnow, he is a one-year rental and is due $25 million in 2024. The Rays have been rumored to trade him since November, as their payroll is at the highest it has ever been in franchise history. Glasnow does have an extensive injury history and has only pitched over 110 innings twice in his career. The Dodgers would not have to give up much due to these factors, but the price could go up with other teams in the mix, such as the Cubs. Other trade candidates could be Shane Bieber, Dylan Cease, and perhaps Cardinals starter Steven Matz if the team is looking for a left-handed starter.
Dodgers need starting pitching. What are their options via free agency?
The starting pitching market is another area that the Dodgers could look at for pitchers. Currently, the biggest fish in the market is Japanese starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who, due to his age and dominance in the NPB, is looking to cash in on a 7-9-year deal well north of $200 million. The Dodgers have been heavily linked with Yamamoto but will have their fair share of competition, with almost half the league looking into his services. The hype is real for Yamamoto as he is a three-time Sawamura Award winner (Japan’s version of Cy Young) and posted an ERA under two in three straight seasons.
Another Japanese star posted this fall was Shōta Imanaga, which I have covered well in a recent article. However, to keep it brief, Imanaga is a left-handed pitcher entering his age 30 seasons and would sign for fewer years and money than Yamamoto. The Dodgers are desperate for left-handed starters in their rotation since Kershaw is a free agent and out for most of, if not all, of 2024, and Julio Urias, still under investigation by the MLB (also a free agent), LA has an all-righty rotation.
LA has also been rumored by David Vassegh to be heavily interested in Lucas Giolitio. The Dodgers have been interested in Giolito since the last trade deadline but only traded for Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly from the White Sox. Giolito would be yet another reclamation project for the Dodgers, as the 2023 season was not too kind for him. For Giolito, the 2023 season would be a tale of two halves, as in the first half of the season, he posted a 3.45 ERA. However, in the second half, that ballooned to 7.13. However, the Dodgers need to load up the backend of the rotation, so I would not be opposed to signing Giolito, but that cannot be the only move they make. Other free-agent pitchers on the market are Jordan Montgomery, Blake Snell, and Seth Lugo.
40-man roster delemia
The Dodgers’ current 40-man roster is full after Jason Heyward‘s re-signing. With Joe Kelly also pending a one-year deal with the Dodgers, the team must make some roster moves to make space for any other potential signings. The most logical route the Dodgers will take is trading for cash to clear the 40-man. No moves can be made official until the roster spots are cleared.
Figuring out LF and Bench
Closing out the Dodgers to-do list is the bench and left field. A reunion seems unlikely with David Peralta, a free agent who had surgery on his forearm. Internally, the Dodgers could stick Chris Taylor out there, as he did log 346 innings there in 2023. Dodgers prospect Andy Pages is also a name to keep an eye on. If it weren’t for a shoulder injury last year, he would have been a prime candidate for a mid-season call-up. Dodgers GM Brandon Gomes also lied about having Michael Busch and Miguel Vargas getting reps in the outfield.
MLB.com Juan Toribio has already linked the Dodgers to Teoscar Hernández in free agency, but his high strikeout rate is a bit of a concern. Surprisingly, Joc Pederson is another name attached to a possible reunion with the Dodgers, but his shaky 2023 is something I think the Dodgers should stay away from. However, I am very high on the former Rays outfielder Kevin Kiermaier, a left-handed bat that plays elite defense and hits righties well. As for the bench, if the Dodgers hold on to players such as Busch and Vargas, they should be allowed to play. If not, trade them for the value they have now.
Check out the latest Bleed Los Podcast episode as we discuss the Dodgers’ plans for the MLB Winter Meetings.
