Los Angeles Dodgers: Five Moves for the 2017 Season
By David Hill
Find a second ace behind Clayton Kershaw
Clayton Kershaw is easily the best pitcher in the game right now. Coming off of a historical 2016 campaign that would have left him in the discussion for the MVP award had he remained healthy, he is the type of pitcher that any team would love to front their pitching staff.
However, behind Kershaw, the Dodgers pitching staff proved to be thin. Kenta Madea, the prized import from Japan, proved to be a solid middle of the rotation starter. Free agent signing Scott Kazmir struggled, battling his own injury issues. Julio Urias showed a great deal of potential, but as a 19 year old, will have quite a few growing pains.
Quite simply, for the Dodgers to get back to the World Series, they need another arm in the rotation. A second ace, one who can step in should something happen to Kershaw once again. The problem is, there is nothing like that in free agency this year, with Andrew Cashner possibly the best available arm.
Fortunately, the trade market could be active. Arms such as Zack Greinke, Chris Sale and Masahiro Tanaka may be on the market, both of which would be a perfect fit in Los Angeles. Greinke has already proven to be capable of handling that second ace role, having some of his better performances in Los Angeles. Sale, meanwhile, appeared to be doing everything possible to get out of Chicago, although now that Robin Ventura is no longer on the bench, his desire to leave may have changed. Tanaka is a more interesting case, as the Yankees do not have as much motivation to trade him as the other pitchers. However, with the thought that he could be available, he would be a nice addition.
Obviously, any of those pitchers would cost a great deal. Yet, even though the Dodgers have a high payroll, they also have a solid crop of prospects, even after their trades last season. If a team could afford to meet the asking cost, and the payroll considerations, the Los Angeles Dodgers may be able to.