LA Sports Today

Los Angeles Sports News continuously updated

Cold Stove Dodgers Talk

by

Jason Heyward

The Dodgers are running it back with Jason Heyward after re-signing him to a one year, $9 million contract. His resurgence with Los Angeles paid off and the deal is a great deal for both parties. 

Heyward finished the season batting .269 while hitting 15 home runs. His presence was felt as both James Outman and Bobby Miller took it to their Instagram story to express their excitement for him. 

As a veteran leader his return will be great for the team. As an outfielder, it allows the Dodgers to play Betts at second. Its a win/win situation for both.  

Alex Bregman 

According to former General Manager Jim Duquette, the Houston Astros are listening to trades for Alex Bregman. The Dodgers already signed Max Muncy for an extension at the beginning of the offseason but let’s dream. 

Let’s say the Dodgers move Muncy to second base. Gavin Lux starts at shortstop as previously scheduled. Slide Bregman into the third base position and the lineup looks deeper than ever:

  1. Mookie Betts
  2. Freddie Freeman
  3. Alex Bregman
  4. Will Smith
  5. Max Muncy

Surely, this lineup will muster more than three hits in the playoffs. What will it take to trade for a year’s service of Bregman? It really doesn’t matter. He finished the season batting .262 and hit 25 home runs. Who cares if he was a part of the 2019 Astros. 

BRING HIM OVER!

Pitching

Sonny Gray signed a three year, $75 million deal with the St. Louis Cardinals. 

Lance Lynn signed a one year, $10 million deal with the Cardinals, as well. 

 

The Dodgers are clearly in the market for pitching. The stove is cold and the winter meetings are happening next week. Gray would have been a great addition to the rotation. He placed second place for the Cy Young but he’s not a pitcher to build around. 

Lynn did what he had to do for the Dodgers and they saw enough. Yoshinobu Yamamoto should be the prime target during the offseason. 

Los Angeles has a great baseline with Walker Buehler, Miller and the rest of the rookies that took a shot last season. Clayton Kershaw might be off for the majority of the season and he hasn’t signed, yet. But, Gray and Lynn were not the answer. I hope to see Andrew Friedman deep into his pockets to sign Yamamoto. 

On the other hand:

Bringing on Dylan Cease is another option for the Dodgers, a solid pitcher with a really bad team last year. A change of scenery will hopefully help him out and the Dodgers currently have 40 men on their roster. If they want to sign anyone, they’ll have to trade someone away.

Hopefully the Lakers persuaded Yamamoto in a positive way and really allowed him to drown himself into LA culture.

In Conclusion

The offseason is off to a slow start. Nothing is happening with the major players. Minor deals are happening. If nothing happens during the GM meetings happening next week, baseball nerds are going to have to wait until after the holidays.

Just don’t get too attached to any of the Dodgers prospects.

No one likes to do business during the holidays. Especially the ballers of the game.

The post Cold Stove Dodgers Talk appeared first on Los Angeles Sports Nation.