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.
When you really think about it, quite a number of rumors that have generated surrounding the 2018 MLB Winter Meetings have been borderline crazy. Some sources have the Dodgers talking to the Tigers about 26-year-old outfielder Nick Castellanos, while other outlets say Los Angeles could be considering offering a deal to A.J. Pollock. The front office crew of the Dodgers is certainly leaving no stone unturned, and with one big trade or signing, the complexion of the team could change in the blink of an eye.
It’s the first official day of Winter Meetings in Las Vegas, so let’s get caught up on happenings and rumors before things (hopefully) get going for the Dodgers.
Ever since he burst onto the major league scene back in 2013, trade rumors surrounding outfielder Yasiel Puig have become an annual event, especially during the offseason. This winter, however, whispers are surfacing more than usual, mainly because he’ll be eligible to test the free agent market after next season, so long as somebody doesn’t sign him to a long term deal beforehand. Furthermore, with the Dodgers making their interests public regarding a catcher and bullpen help, the front office crew may dangle the 28-year-old Cuban’s name in a prospective trade package or two at the Winter Meetings this week.
The Winter Meetings are set to start in Las Vegas in a few days, and what the Dodgers front office will accomplish is anyone’s guess. Fans who are watching other teams make deals can’t wait to see the Dodgers make some deals of their own.
Being that there’s no shortage of decent relief pitching in this year’s free agent class, one wonders if boss Andrew Friedman will abandon his typical of philosophy from building his bullpen from within and dip into resources from the outside. While there’s still some speculation that the Dodgers will once again land below the Luxury Tax threshold next season, there still may be some room under the cap to land a quality fireman.
Since the moment last season when the Dodgers appeared they would stay under the 2018 Luxury Tax threshold, rumors began to swirl linking the team to Bryce Harper, one of the headlining commodities of this winter’s free agent class. And, as impractical as it would be to sign the 26-year-old, indications suggest that the club is still doing its due diligence in pursuing the outfielder, despite the onslaught of criticism from pundits and fans.
As the hot stove in the MLB off-season starts to heat up, many rumors abound concerning the Dodgers. The most prevalent ones are between the Dodgers and the Indians, with Cleveland sending a starting pitcher to the Dodgers, for one of the Dodgers’ outfielders (plus others).
While there has been plenty of team news for fans of the Dodgers so far during the offseason, there haven’t been many rumors linked to free agents or trades, so when the big media outlets throw out a big name linked to the team, all of us bloggers tend to express our two cents almost immediately.
While there has been a ton of news surrounding the Dodgers in the first month of the offseason, there really haven’t been many rumors regarding any prospective player trades. Some chatter, however, has suggested that Los Angeles management has been talking to its counterpart in Cleveland, potentially setting up one of the first big trades of the winter.