The offseason is starting to heat up with trade rumors and free agent speculation, and there is a lot of buzz surrounding what the Los Angeles Dodgers are going to do to try to improve their roster.
They’ve made consecutive World Series appearances, but are looking to see what player transactions can ultimately get them over that final hump to a championship
The Cincinnati Reds are rumored to have their eye on multiple Dodgers players, including Yasiel Puig and Alex Wood.
The Reds have finished last in the NL Central for four consecutive seasons, and it appears like they’re interested in making some big acquisitions to reassert themselves in that strong division.
They recently lost speedy center fielder Billy Hamilton to the Kansas City Royals, so there is definitely a need in the outfield.
The Dodgers are also said to be looking to trim payroll to make room for other potential acquisitions, and the Reds could be willing to oblige that request in order to improve their own lineup.
Ken Rosenthal has some interesting reporting on the subject. He says that the two teams have talked multiple times about a trade.
Puig is in play, as well as other Dodgers outfielders and pitchers. The Dodgers would want to trim their payroll, and Puig is projected to make $11.3 million in arbitration.
Wood is also a player to keep an eye on in these ongoing discussions, as he is projected to make $9 million in arbitration.
Rosenthal also notes that one variation of this deal could result in the Dodgers taking on Homer Bailey’s $28 million he’s still owed in order to get prospects from the Reds.
That alternative would be going against their supposed desire to trim payroll, but it would be a way to get some prospects.
There was a lot of talk about how Puig grew distrustful of Dodgers management last season, so it’s not hard to envision him on another team next season.
Mark Feinsand of MLB.com is reporting that the Dodgers have been actively trying to trade either Puig or Matt Kemp.
Based on his age and salary figure, Puig would presumably be easier to move than Kemp, but Puig’s fiery personality could definitely make teams shy away from wanting to add him to their locker room.
Kemp is set to make $21.75 million next season, and perhaps the Reds would be willing to take on that contract if the Dodgers agreed to take the Bailey contract off of their hands.
The Dodgers have a very crowded outfield and starting pitcher group right now, so it makes sense that guys like Puig, Kemp, and Wood are being shopped.
It looks like the Reds are a team that would be willing to take on a hefty contract, and the Dodgers seem to want to unload one of those three players in exchange for increased payroll flexibility and a less-crowded depth chart.
Dealing Puig or Kemp could open up more playing time next season for another outfielder, and Wood being dealt would make it easier to project the rotation for the beginning of the 2019 season.
Think Blue Planning Committee 
Nothing firm yet. Just a lot of hot air…..that’s all Andy is anyway.
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Tampa got a steal on Charlie Morton 2 years $30 million. I would have been happy signing him for that deal, plug him to the #3 rotation spot and say screw Kluber so we can use the trade assets somewhere else.
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I was thinking along those same lines Alex but then I saw some stats that showed his first half was way better than his second half. That would have concerned me a little, but I agree, good deal for Tampa.
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Who we really want from the Reds is Scooter Gennett, true? We need a 2b man and Scooter is a good one.
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So far this week: Much ado about nothing!
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Yes bob, scooter would work fine.
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Lets think about that guys. Ok, they get Scooter Gennett, what happens to Muncy? You going to play him over Bellinger at 1st? Not me and I will tell you why. I saw a replay of a play made by Manny Machado during the playoffs. Manny went deep in the hole and threw to 1st. Now Bellinger was there. The throw was wide to Bellinger’s glove side, which if Muncy was there, would have been his throwing hand side, Belli stretched to the right and did a sweep catch to save a wild throw. Muncy as short as he is and not being left handed would have never made that play. Bellinger is heads and tails better at 1st than Muncy will ever be. So now, you either move Belli to the outfield, which I think is a huge mistake, or you plug Muncy in at 2nd where he is somewhat better than he is at 1st. That of course seems to be what Roberts is thinking since he said he sees Muncy playing more next year…of course that only happens if he keeps his production level where it was last year, which I happen to think is wishful thinking. The league was catching up to him at the end of the year and he struck out 23 times in 50 at bats in the post season. Or about as bad as Bellinger was in the 2017 World Series. The word is now that Puig is not going to be traded to the Reds. They are talking about Kemp and Wood and possibly some lower level prospect. I do not see Gennett coming to LA unless by some miracle they pull off the 3 way deal that has been kicked around with either the Marlins and the Reds, or the Reds and Mets……I am not optimistic at all. Andy has done nothing to change my mind.
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Dodgers signing Joe Kelly. 3 years 25 million. Got that power arm bridge to Jansen. And that is pretty much the role he had in Boston last year. What does it mean? It means someone on the roster right now will have to be traded or released sometime in the very near future.
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Well Joe Kelly for 3/$25 wouldn’t exactky have been my first second or even 3rd choice for that matter but I suppose Friedman has to do things his way and sign the last guy any of us thought about to a surprisingly lucrative deal versus his statistical performance. $8 mil per year for 3 years for a reliever with an ERA close to 4.50 is risky but obviously Andy is betting on Kelly’s World Series performance carrying over. No denying his stuff is good at 97-101 with a nice knuckle curve but I still would have much preferred a guy like David Robertson’s consistency over the years to this guy. Alex Cora just about left him off the playoff roster all together because his September ERA was 8.30 and lest we forget this is the guy who all but killed the Dodgers WS chances in 2013 by intentionally destroying Hanley’s ribs. Oh well I guess we have our one expenditure on the bullpen now so if look for more bottom of the barrel type guys brought in now to round out the bullpen. Praying for the best here but I think we could have done better for the money.
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Yeah maybe. But Kelly can hit 100 on the gun and only Baez comes close to that. Joe Broussard who was at AAA can get pretty close at 98. Familia got 30 mil over 3 years, but he is a closer. I am ok with this. It is one of those signings that can either be really good, or blow up in your face…lets hope for the former.
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Kelly works. Not anyone’s first choice, but the CBT strapped Dodgers aren’t a first choice organization at this point are they.
I’ve posted defensive position importance rankings more than once here and yet I still read that people prefer Bellinger, probably our fastest guy, at first base. NOBODY, from Little League to the World Champion Boston Red Sox plays their fastest guy at first base. Until we have an actual centerfielder on this team the depth chart will show Bellinger out there. Taylor is quick but he came up as an infielder. Hernandez and Taylor are the same guy, with Kiké being maybe a step slower. I’d prefer a Brett Butler type guy, however a .377 OBP guy who can steal 40 bases who lacks launch angle ain’t exactly Friedman’s cup of miso. So we have Taylor and his league leading strikeouts and .331 OBP leading off. I think Verdugo could do it as he was getting on at ..400 earlier in his career. At AAA he was close to that. Hopefully he doesn’t get infected with LAD LAD. That would be Los Angeles Dodgers Launch Angle Disorder. That will ruin a lead off candidate. I have my own stat for top of the order hitters – OBBA. On base plus batting average. Hit .300 and get on at .400 and you lead off for me. That player is rare today. Verdugo is close with a career MILB slash line of .309/.367/.444. I wonder if Cleveland values that?
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Hot Air Friedman made it through the meetings without adding anything significant via trade and signing only Joe Kelly as a free agent and now he will have to reduce the roster by one to add Kelly. They lose 2 players in the rule 5 draft, Jackson and Joe. This has to go down as one of the most boring winter meetings in baseball history. Personally, I have had about as much of Friedman as I can handle. The guy consistently disappoints the fan base. As much money as Dodger fans spend, both at the games and getting jerseys, caps and memorabilia, they deserve better. Hell, most of them still cannot see the team on TV. I can because I live in another state and subscribe to MLB TV. None of the supposed big deals came to fruition. I understand they still have plenty of time to make changes, but the meetings used to be the place where these things happened. Andy’s first season they made a bunch of trades at the meetings. Including the Kemp to the Padres trade and Gordon to Miami. They supposedly are still talking with the Reds and who ever. But I doubt anything major goes down until after the new year, if then.
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I didn’t realize there was am MLB rule that you had to complete all trades and free agent signings before noon on the last day of the Winter Meetings. Maybe someone should have told all the GM’s because it seems like most of them were not aware of that, not only Friedman. If this is the roster they start the season with I owe you an apology Bear. Feel free to remind me of that fact. I’m excellent at admitting I’ve been wrong. But in the meanwhile, why don’t we give AF a little more time to finish what he plans to do.
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I’m pretty sure I’ve read this article 10 times in the last week. Maybe the Dodgers write it and send it to the writers. And about Kelly don’t we have 6 of him already except they have better whips and era?
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