The Los Angeles Dodgers find themselves in a rare position of having many holes to fill this offseason. The Dodgers lost starting pitcher Tyler Anderson to their freeway rivals the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The non-tendered Cody Bellinger, Trea Turner, Justin Tuner, Andrew Heaney, and Tommy Kahnle are allfree agents.
They have holes in the infield, outfield, and pitching staff. Walker Buehler is recovering from Tommy John and might not pitch at all next season. All of these free agents account for nearly $100M. The Dodgers will have a lot of money to spend after having the second-highest payroll last season at $280M.
Los Angeles Dodgers have plenty of work to do
The Dodgers came up short after being the best team in the National League as they were upset by their division rival Padres in the postseason. The Dodgers have an opportunity to retool by signing some big named free agents. Their biggest areas of need are starting pitching and shortstop and center field. The three names that stand out are Justin Verlander, Dansby Swanson, and Brandon Nimmo. They could even sign Carlos Correa or Xander Bogaerts and pair them at third base with Swanson.
Justin Verlander is asking for Max Scherzer’s money and the Dodgers are the perfect match. They love short-term deals and need an ace in their rotation. Kershaw, Urias, Gonsolin, and May make a solid rotation, but Verlander makes it one of the best in MLB. Verlander just won the Cy Young, and at 40 years old, it appears he still has a few good years left. His ERA was 1.75 with 185 strikeouts in 175 innings last season. Verlander would put the Dodgers back in the driver’s seat in the National League. Contract projection for three years $120M.
Their offense has several holes to fill that’s why Dansby Swanson makes the most sense. His contact should be the most affordable out of the big shortstops. He’s coming off a career year at 28 years old with 25 HRs and a WAR of 5.7. Swanson would be a downgrade from Trea Turner, but he will still be an above-average player in their lineup. Swanson is also a better defender. Swanson would fit in smoothly in their lineup. Contract projection six years $150M.
The last player is Brandon Nimmo. Nimmo would be a huge upgrade over Bellinger and would keep the lineup balanced as a lefty. Nimmo could help replace some of Turner’s speed and could lead off. He’s a plus defender with a solid bat. Nimmo is 29 and coming off a career-high 64 RBI and 151 games. Nimmo’s WAR was just over five and he would be a great Dodger. Contract projection for five years $120M.