I wouldn't be overly concerned about the team's budget. The Dodgers were prepared to sign Greinke to a deal for over $30 million per year for 5 years as well as take on Chapman's anticipated $11 million deal for 2016 through arbitration. The organization just does not want to hand out retirement contracts and seeing what both Greinke and Heyward got in free agency, I certainly don't blame it. Kasten even said that the offer to Greinke was stretched even further than what the front office was initially prepared to give him presumably with a higher AAV because the organization was fond of him. While it's possible that Molly Knight's assertion is true that the Giants offered him that 6th year despite Brian Sabean's protest against doing so, the media seems to think that
the Dodgers were the team he was minutes away from signing with.
Also, the Dodgers have some dead money on the books for some years, but it's negligible. We also have decreasing payroll commitments over a few years culminating with only Kershaw's player option years currently on the books for the active roster. There's nothing really keeping the Dodgers from adding more salary to improve the team. While the front office has made it known that it anticipates to have a payroll
closer to $200 million, that doesn't man that it will actually hit that cut-off point. In fact, the team is still expected to have the highest payroll in Major League Baseball for the 2016 season. Plus, Kasten and Friedman have gone on record to say that the aim is to win a championship every year even if it is moving towards sustaining a model of developing and utilizing more homegrown talent from within the organization.
I'm sure the Dodgers are pursuing trades while being mindful of the free-agent options still available. The front office likes having options and flexibility with regards to roster maneuverability. With the failed pursuit of Chapman, I'm quite confident that we're in trade talks for McGee, especially given Friedman's connection to the Tampa Bay Rays' organization. Hopefully, Oh is also under consideration for the bullpen.
While there hasn't been word in the major media outlets that the Dodgers are pursuing outfielders, I'm hopeful that we are whether it's a trade for Frazier or signing either Upton or Gordon. Upton looks like the likeliest of those possibilities given his youth and right-handed power, but the contract offer required to sign him seems like it may be too much for our tastes. The Reds are apparently overplaying their hand in asking for high returns on their players available for trade just like they did with Cueto and Chapman. Gordon would be a great option if we can get him on a short-term deal, but he's likely looking for a longer deal we'd be comfortable to committing to him. Chris Davis could be a darkhorse candidate but I don't want to beat what the Orioles already offered him.
Of course, a #2 starter for our pitching rotation is a high priority, but trade talks don't look like they've progressed. Then again, the front office likes to operate in secrecy and tends to do a fairly good job of maintaining that mystery. Neither Maeda or Chen seem like fitting possibilities to fill the spot behind Kershaw in the starting rotation. Plus, Cueto is still on the market.
Speaking of Cueto, he's expressed that
the Red Sox were his top choice in free agency as a destination given his familiarity with Hanley Ramirez and idolization of Pedro Martinez. His agent also seems to indicate
his preference to pitch in St. Louis despite the bad feelings from the Reds-Cardinals brawl he was involved in. The Dodgers are also mentioned as an obvious fit for him, but his attachment to the team seems to match my waned enthusiasm for him as a fallback option. It doesn't sound like he's generating enough interest to match or exceed the offer he initially received from the Diamondbacks or Zimmermann's deal. A match with the Dodgers could be of mutual benefit even if it is more out of necessity than shared interests.
With regard to Urias, DeLeon, and any of the other young Dodger pitchers, Kasten mentioned that they'll be given looks during Spring Training, but they're not counting on any to start the season with the big club. Lee, Weiland, and Bolsinger may be the closest to being ready but each are only seen as possibilities as the #5 starter. Urias still needed to adjust to AAA, but he might get an opportunity for a call-up mid-season or after with 2017 a distinct possibility. DeLeon doesn't look quite ready but he seems to be close with upside to be the #3 starter in our rotation in the near future. Cotton, Stripling, and maybe even Sborz or Anderson could be possibilities for the bullpen, but I think holes in the relief pitching corps. will be filled from outside the organization.
