Call to the pen
Fansided

MLB Christmas list for the offseason

By Adam Taylor McKillop

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 07: DJ LeMahieu of the New York Yankees fields in Game Three of the American League Division Series. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 07: DJ LeMahieu of the New York Yankees fields in Game Three of the American League Division Series. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 5
Next
MLB
(Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images) /

The Los Angeles Dodgers wish to steal Kirby Yates away from the San Diego Padres.

There are a number of MLB fans that will roll their eyes at this suggestion. Understandably so. We all know that the Los Angeles Dodgers won the 2020 World Series. But still, the best team in baseball from a year ago is looking to improve on its championship roster.

Must be nice to operate with that $107 million payroll, right?

One thing that we learned from the Dodgers’ championship run last season was their apparent need for pitching. Kenley Jansen continues to show his age in the postseason, and their reliance on young starters like Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May out of the bullpen hasn’t been easy going.

Julio Urias also fell into this category last October but was considered a success story. Regardless, these three arms are projected as starting pitchers and the Dodgers’ front office would like it to remain that way.

In all honesty, the Dodgers need to bolster their late-inning options besides Jansen. If this issue is unaddressed during the offseason, it could potentially haunt them. So for their Christmas wish, what better way than going after an arm like Kirby Yates.

Yates was the best closer in baseball in 2019. He pitched to a blistering 1.19 ERA, recording 41 saves in 44 opportunities. The injury bug haunted Yates last season, but he should be considered a valuable asset with hopes of returning to his 2019 form.

The cherry on top for Dodgers fans is the opportunity to steal him away from the up-and-coming division rivals San Diego Padres. San Diego gave the Dodgers a scare last season, finishing in second in the NL West and just six games back. The Padres’ front office was willing to spend last season at the deadline and Los Angeles would love to take away their best bullpen arm.

Home/MLB News