Steve Webb
Big Decisions loom in coming days for Friedman et al…
With the reported agreement on a one-year deal between the Dodgers and Clayton Kershaw, there is one less piece of the free agent puzzle to keep me up at night in May. With Max Scherzer, Corey Knebel, and Corey Seager already signed elsewhere, and Chris Taylor having signed with the club back in December, that leaves the Dodgers with a total of seven unsigned free agents as I write this article. Let’s do a little ranking of how important it is to retain the services of these guys, shall we?
1. Kenley Jansen
The big man from Curacao survived a mid-season hiccup (albeit a major one) and proved himself a dependable closer down the stretch. Any way you slice it, 38 saves with a 2.22 ERA is elite. It’s true that Blake Treinen could step into that role for the Dodgers, as he’s done enough at a high level to let us breathe a lot easier when he is on the mound. However, Jansen’s late season performance has earned him an encore with the Dodgers. The only question is whether or not either side is “into” that. We shall see…
2. Joe Kelly
The signing of Joe Kelly in a sense hinges on whether or not the team cuts a deal with Jansen. If they do, I imagine they’re going to cut Kelly loose and keep Treinen as the high-leverage set up man. If they don’t come to an agreement with Jansen, look for Kelly to come back and be slotted into what is now Treinen’s role. I’d like to see Mariachi Joe come back, if only for the entertainment value that he provides.
3. (tie) Danny Duffy and Jimmy Nelson
As we saw at the disastrous end of the the 2022 season, when we had about one and a half starting pitchers left in the rotation, we saw how critical it is to have a surplus of arms going into the post season. Both Nelson and Duffy looked good when they were on the mound last season (Nelson for the Dodgers, and Duffy for the Royals). However, that was exactly the problem; both men weren’t able to finish the season healthy and were essentially worthless to the Dodgers after the All-Star break. I’m not really recommending that either be signed, but if the deal is there, the Dodgers could do a lot worse than these two proven veterans.
5. Albert Pujols
We all love Pujols, who’s a great presence in the club house, but let’s face it, he’s a pretty limited weapon. He can still get hits off lefties, but I’m not sure the Dodgers want to give up a roster spot for a platoon DH and part-time first baseman. It would be fun to see him smack his 700th homer in a Dodger uniform, but that thrill doesn’t pay the bills. And with DH possibilities like Nelson Cruz and Jorge Soler available, not sure we need Albert back for another go-round.
6. Steven Souza Jr.
One of the most cringe-inducing moments of the entire season was when Tyler Matzek whiffed Steven Souza, Jr. in Game 6 of the NLCS with the tying runs on base. It especially hurt when Gavin Lux was sitting on the bench with a bat in his hand. But that moment aside, Souza seems like a nice guy, but seems like his days of being a contributor to a major league team are over. At best, he gets offered a minor league deal and can be ready in case somebody goes down with injury. Sorry, Steven; you had a promising start to your career, but injury has made it impossible to rank you any higher than this.
7. Cole Hamels
Hamels was another late-season edition that just didn’t pan out. Again, the guy had some great years, especially in Philadelphia, but Father Time is undefeated as they say. Hard pass on this one. Good luck hooking on with a lesser team.
So there you have it. To be honest, I could easily see none of these guys re-signing with the club. I would say after Jansen and Kelly, I could take or leave the rest of them. There are other fish in the sea. We’ll keep tabs on all these guys and keep you updated as the countdown to Opening Day starts to roll.
UPDATE: Adios, Mariachi Joe
