It seems like it happens almost every year around this time — the front office crew of the Dodgers putting their heads together trying to decide whether the potentially positive traits around right-fielder Yasiel Puig outweigh those of the negative nature, and determining if the 25-year-old Cuban native fits into the long term plans of the club moving forward.
Continue reading “Yasiel Puig Trade Rumors Surfacing Yet Again”
Although it’s no secret that the Dodgers have a keen interest in upgrading their bullpen as the trade deadline approaches, the club has been linked to Cincinnati Reds outfielder Jay Bruce on several occasions, while many fans are left wondering where exactly an offensive upgrade of that nature would fit into the everyday lineup.
Continue reading “Should Dodgers Pursue Offensive Help at Trade Deadline?”
With only a little over five weeks remaining until the 2016 non-waiver trade deadline, many fans are wondering just how active the Dodgers will be, and how many top-shelf prospects the club is willing to sacrifice to achieve immediate, overall improvement.
Continue reading “How Can Dodgers Improve at 2016 Trade Deadline?”
As if the player depth throughout the entire organization wasn’t already at an extremely high level, the Dodgers held a private showcase for Cuban star Yulieski Gourriel on Tuesday, and appear to be one of several clubs interested in possibly signing the 32-year-old infielder.
Continue reading “Dodgers Hold Workout for Cuban Star Yulieski Gourriel”
With the sizzle of the 2015 Baseball Winter Meetings now losing steam, the Dodgers have a rare opportunity to focus their efforts on another free agent prize — Japanese righty Kenta Maeda.
Maeda’s posting process will begin on December 10, when interested teams will have the opportunity to submit the $20 million release fee, giving such teams the chance to negotiate a contract. It’s a no-risk scenario, as the teams that fail to sign Maeda will ultimately have that fee refunded.
Preliminary speculation suggests that a contract in the vicinity of 5 years/$60 million may win the services of Maeda, in addition to the $20 million going to the Hiroshima Carp as compensation.
Maeda, who will be 28 at the beginning of the 2016 season, is considered by many the top current pitcher in Japan. He began pitching professionally at age 20 for the Carp in 2008. In 2015, he posted a 15-8 record, hurling 206+ innings while recording a 2.09 ERA, 7.6 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9.
His banner year may have been 2013, when he fanned 171 batters in 206 innings while logging a 1.53 ERA. His efforts for both of those years earned him Sawamura Awards — Japan’s equivalent to MLB’s Cy Young Award.
According to scouting reports, his early projection is to be a workhorse-type — possibly slotting in as a solid #3 or #4 starter upon his arrival to MLB.
Baseball America‘s Ben Badler recently posted a scouting report (subscription required) on Maeda, which he offered the following analysis (excerpt):
“Maeda has shown solid stuff across the board, with a fastball that sits at 89-93 mph and can touch 94, a tick above-average slider that he leans on heavily, along with a curveball and a changeup … While Maeda’s slider is usually his go-to secondary pitch, his best offspeed weapon in two starts against Mexico and Puerto Rico was his changeup.”
Needless to say, without any seasoning required in the minors, Maeda would fit nicely into a questionable Dodgers’ rotation that desperately needs depth. Beside Clayton Kershaw, Hisashi Iwakuma, Brett Anderson and Alex Wood, Maeda would be poised to make an immediate impact.
With the return of both Hyun-jin Ryu and Brandon McCarthy at some point in 2016, and a strong debut from either Julio Urias or Jose De Leon, a healthy and deep Dodgers starting rotation could possibly rank among the top-five in the National League.
The not-so-good news for Dodgers fans is that Arizona GM Dave Stewart has already showed strong interest in Maeda, and with the revenue from a new, lucrative TV deal in-hand, the Diamondbacks could make a run at the Japanese righty.
Stewart offered up this statement last winter:
“I love Maeda. I love him. We have a lot of video and film and we have people who have seen him. We think that he’s got a chance to be very successful in Major League Baseball. We’re going to try to be in on the market when he does post, if he does post.”
Having already bolstered their rotation by adding Zack Greinke and Shelby Miller, with Maeda the Diamondbacks could go from being considered a contender to a possible favorite to win the NL West.
After showing a somewhat frugal wallet so far this winter, Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi must pursue Maeda at all costs — not just to bolster their own rotation, but to prevent a division rival from getting even stronger.
With the arrival of the 114th annual Baseball Winter Meetings in Nashville on December 6, the MLB hot stove promises to heat up quickly. The Dodgers are expected to be very active in some shape or form, and starting pitching is certainly one key area of focus.
First and foremost, the Dodgers will make every possible effort to sign Zack Greinke. Early reports are indicating that Greinke’s representation, Excel Sports, is seeking an AAV upwards of $30 million. Despite this large figure, the Dodgers front office has actually had casual dialogue about adding both Greinke and David Price.
If the early signings of J.A. Happ and Jordan Zimmermann are indicators, teams may not be sparing any expenses this winter. Happ surprisingly scored a 3-year/$36 million contract with Toronto, while Zimmermann landed a 5-year deal worth $110 million with the Tigers.
To further exemplify the salty market, Johnny Cueto recently rejected a 6-year/$120 million offer from the Diamondbacks. Signals from the Cueto camp seem to reveal a desire for a contract in the $160 million range.
Depending on the timing, the Dodgers may not make the bulk of their moves until Greinke finalizes a deal one way or another. If Los Angeles does indeed land Greinke, one may assume the winter spendings will be capped right there. However, there’s certainly a strong crop of secondary starters available, including Jeff Samardzija, Mike Leake, Scott Kazmir, Ian Kennedy, Yovani Gallardo and John Lackey—just to name a few.
The free agent market may not be the sole source for acquisitions, as Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi will leave no stones unturned while exploring the trade market. As recently as yesterday, rumblings were reported outlining a potential deal with the Braves offering Joc Pederson in exchange for Shelby Miller.
Clayton Kershaw, Brett Anderson and Alex Wood all will be set to start in 2016, with Hyun-jin Ryu seemingly meeting all the recovery standards to slot into another starting spot. However, glancing at the extensive number of injuries over the past 2 years alone, the front office may decide to setup a rotation that is 6 or 7 strong.
The farm system is always a last resort option, as several players, including Zach Lee, Julio Urias and Jose De Leon, seem to be on the fringe but ostensibly require another small stint of seasoning. Mike Bolsinger and Joe Wieland are the closest to the top, but need to prove their potential with every single opportunity they’re given. All that being said, at least one or maybe two new acquisitions may be critical to the team’s success.
The re-signing of Greinke is of extreme importance, as anything less will conceivably be a downgrade to the rotation. The good news for the fans is that Friedman and Zaidi seem to be strongly committed to making this happen. A base-five of Kershaw, Greinke, Ryu, Anderson and Wood is a solid starting point, and an addition of one of the secondary free agents mentioned above will produce a formidable staff.
In spite of everything, numerous moves will indeed be made very soon, as pitchers and catchers report in about 10 weeks. For the sake of the fans, hopefully Friedman and Zaidi reveal a plentiful wallet and make several gigantic splashes to build an even stronger squad in 2016.
Think Blue Planning Committee 