Steve Webb
It’s been a pretty slow offseason all around baseball so far. A few trades, a couple of free agent signings, but not much else. So how about we engage in some rank speculation while we wait for something to happen? At the end of the season, the Dodgers had seven players who are officially free agents. The team has since signed Jimmy Nelson to a minor league deal, so we’re down to six: Justin Turner, Kiké Hernandez, Blake Treinen, Joc Pederson, Alex Wood, and Pedro Baez. Let’s rank them on how critical it would be for the Dodgers to resign them. Should the team try to hold on to these old friends, or is it time to say hasta la vista, baby? Let’s go in reverse order, shall we?
6. Pedro Baez
Baez has been a good soldier out of the bullpen since 2014, but anyone who has been watching the Dodgers over the last few years can see that his skill level has diminished as his salary has increased. In the last two seasons, his WAR was a measly 0.4, compared to a 1.0 season average in 2016-2018. Dave Roberts still seems to trust him in high leverage situations, but he hasn’t necessarily always proved himself worthy of that trust. Thanks for the buggy ride, Pedro, but I think we’re done here.
5. Alex Wood
I like Alex Wood a lot, but I’m not sure the Dodgers have much room for him on the roster anymore. He will always be etched in Dodger fans memories for his heroic work out of the pen in the 2020 World Series (4 IP 0.00 ERA). In fact, I thought that he probably should have been given the start over Tony Gonsolin in Game 6. However, with David Price rejoining the team, and Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler already ensconced in the 1-2 holes in the rotation (in whatever order), where exactly are we going to find starts for Wood? Especially with Julio Urias figuring to be a regular starter, and Dustin May and Gonsolin showing so much promise? Not seeing it happening for Wood and the Dodgers anymore.
4. Joc Pederson
Everybody loves Joc Pederson. He’s a big, goofy, homerun hittin’ dude. And where he came up with those amazing at-bats in the postseason last year after a really lame regular season, I will never know. But facts are facts, and Joc Pederson’s struggles against anything but a fastball from a righthanded pitcher are too much to ignore. The addition of Mookie Betts already squeezed Pederson’s playing time last year, and with A.J. Pollack having a bounce-back year, I don’t see much future for Pederson in the outfield, especially with his sometimes-questionable defensive skills. Plus, the Dodgers already seemed more than ready to part company with Pederson last year with the ill-fated trade to the Angels. Can’t see Pederson in Dodger Blue in 2021.
3. Blake Treinen
Here’s where things get interesting. Treinen for the most part proved to be a good insurance policy for the Dodgers, having been a lights-out closer with Oakland. He got some key outs late in the season, especially after the Kenley Jansen meltdown against the Astros. I would have liked a little more consistency out of him to assure fans that he was returning to elite level. The big question for Treinen is whether or not Andrew Friedman tries to sign a big-ticket closer this offseason like a Brad Hand or Liam Hendriks. If he does, Treinen is probably expendable. If he doesn’t, Treinen might be worth trying to re-sign.
2. Kiké Hernandez
There’s a lot to love about Kiké: his fiery spirit, his versatility, his elite glove. But this might be a case where a player’s wants and the Dodgers’ needs just don’t match anymore. Hernandez is said to be looking for a one-year deal, which not particularly a problem. Here’s the rub: he wants to get at least 500 plate appearances. That’s a heavy lift for the Dodgers. They like having Kiké around to plug into the lineup as needed, but an everyday player? That might be tough to promise, especially with Gavin Lux looking to get more big-league action in the coming season. It’s going to hurt to say goodbye, but I think the Dodgers are going to need to be honest with Hernandez about what his role would be on the 2021 team. If that doesn’t mesh with his expectations, the team needs to move on.
1. Justin Turner
In a previous post, we’ve laid out the case for signing Justin Turner. Basically, it comes under the category of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. Turner has meant so much to this team, and vice-versa over the years. It would be fitting for him to retire in a Dodger uniform. The sticking point may be the length of the contract, but even if the Dodgers feel like they’re not getting their money’s worth on the tail-end of the deal, they got more than they ever bargained for out of this player in the first place, so I wouldn’t mind the team taking it on the chin a bit in 2024 if they can make this happen.
Of course, there are many non-Dodger free agents that deserve a look this offseason as well. The front-office has a lot of decisions to make before spring training begins, whenever that happens. Until then, the hot stove continues to burn.
