DODGERS NEWS/RUMORS thread

nice summary on why bauer shouldn't even be a consideration...
LINK

 

difficult to get excited about .231/.257/.398
then again, barnes was .205/.329/.290
just hoping ruiz and/or smith will be ready sooner than expected...


Dodgers in contact with former Astros catcher Maldonado
by Clint Evans | Dodger’s Nation — 1 December 2018



Since the news broke that Yasmani Grandal would be leaving the Dodgers via free agency, the Dodgers contingency plan at catcher has been a murky one. As of now it’s the incumbent Austin Barnes… and ?

Our good friend Michael Duarte of NBC Sports Los Angeles shed some light on a possible fit. Recently, the Dodgers checked in on former Houston Astros catcher Martin Maldonado. Maldonado also spent parts of several seasons in Milwaukee and Anaheim.

Michael J. Duarte ✔@michaeljduarte
Sources: #Dodgers have been in contact with Free Agent catcher Martin
Maldonado. He could be an option if Realmuto and others fall through.
2:06 PM - Nov 30, 2018 ​

Maldonado isn’t going to excite anyone with the bat. In a season partially spent in Houston and Anaheim last year, he slashed .231/.257/.398; meaning he’s a slide back from 2018 Austin Barnes. His defensive WAR didn’t grade out highly, at 0.3 bWAR.

Still, there’s a need. And if you’re a free agent catcher right now, the Dodgers are probably doing their homework on you. It’s likely that as Duarte says – the Dodgers settle for a contingency plan when J.T. Realmuto lands elsewhere due to an overpay.

The take home message here is that the Dodgers are searching far and wide for a veteran presence at the catcher position. Behind that message – is they know they may be less likely to make a third straight World Series appearance if Austin Barnes is doing the lion’s share of work behind the dish.

The Dodgers need a catcher – and with Yan Gomes traded to the Washington Nationals – that’s one more name crossed off the wish list.

 

meh

Dodgers among teams tied to Japanese starter Yusei Kikuchi
by Daniel Starkand | Dodger Blue — 1 December 2018



One thing that the Los Angeles Dodgers organization values more than most is pitching depth. That has left them better equipped to deal with injuries in better fashion than other teams in recent years.

If the 2019 season were to start today, the Dodgers would be able to send out one of the more formidable starting rotations, anchored by Clayton Kershaw, Walker Buehler, Hyun-Jin Ryu and Rich Hill.

Julio Urias, Kenta Maeda, Alex Wood, Ross Stripling, Dennis Santana and Caleb Ferguson would then all be options to serve as their No. 5 starter, with the remaining pitchers capable of providing valuable depth in case of injury.

As the Dodgers know, you can never have too much pitching though and they may be looking to add some more. They are currently being linked to Japanese left-hander Yusei Kikuchi, via Jon Heyman of Fancred:

Jon Heyman ✔@JonHeyman
West Cosst bias? Market strong for lefty Yusei Kikuchi, with dodgers, padres,
giants and mariners among those believed in. Sea and SF would be interesting,
as one is tearing down the other thought to be considering retooling.
7:07 AM - Nov 30, 2018​

Kikuchi is expected to be posted by the Seibu Lions on Dec. 3, which would then give him 30 days to negotiate with teams on the open market. Kikuchi hired Scott Boras to represent him, so the 27-year-old figures to sign or at least pursue a highly lucrative contract.

In 2018, Kikuchi went 14-4 with a 3.08 ERA and 1.03 WHIP over 163.2 innings pitched (23 starts). He did miss some time in May with shoulder tightness, which may be a bit of a concern for teams.

Dating back to 2017, Kikuchi had a dominant 1.97 ERA and 0.91 WHIP in 187.2 innings and overall in 1,035.1 innings in his career with the Lions, posted a 2.81 ERA with 925 strikeouts.

The Dodgers are no stranger to signing Japanese pitchers, most recently inking Maeda to an eight-year contract before the 2016 season.

 

• The market for star Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto seems to be reaching a fever pitch, with the Astros, Yankees, Dodgers, Mets and Giants among the latest teams to “show interest,” says Fancred’s Jon Heyman. The odds of an extension for the backstop seem infinitesimal at this juncture, with sources “suggesting” that the proposed figure was in range of the massive extension signed by Giants catcher Buster Posey prior to the start of the 2013 season. Whether or not the ask was mere posturing on the part of Realmuto, whose agent Jeff Berry seemed to make clear the 27-year-old’s intentions on a radio show in late October, is unknown, but it seems a near certainty the Oklahoma-born product will be moved at some point this offseason.

 

maybe they plan on moving posey to 1b

 

the farhan

 

hilarious
played 157 games in 2015, averaging 79 since
age 30, oft injured, production trending down
he'll be lucky to get $20M per imo
then again, wtf do i know...

A.J. Pollock reportedly seeking $80MM deal
by Connor Byrne | MLB Trade Rumors — 19 minutes ago



In each of the previous two offseasons, the top-ranked free-agent center fielder available inked a deal worth at least $80MM. The Cardinals made a five-year, $82.5MM commitment to Dexter Fowler heading into 2017, and the Brewers followed suit by awarding Lorenzo Cain a five-year, $80MM guarantee last offseason. If A.J. Pollock has his way, he’ll rake in a similar payday this winter. The longtime Diamondback is seeking a contract in the vicinity of the Fowler and Cain pacts, Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets.​

It’s no surprise that Pollock is aiming high early in free agency, especially considering the lack of center field alternatives available on either the open or trade market. Nevertheless, Pollock’s asking price may be rather ambitious, with MLBTR predicting he’ll land a four-year, $60MM guarantee and FanGraphs projecting a three-year, $54MM deal.

It’s true that Pollock has generally been a good to excellent performer throughout his career, which began in earnest in 2013. However, injuries have been an all-too-common occurrence for Pollock, who missed 87 games in 2014, 150 in 2016, 50 in 2017 and 49 last season. Further, youth isn’t necessarily on Pollock’s side (he’ll turn 31 on Dec. 6), and because he rejected a qualifying offer from Arizona, signing him would cost a team more than just a truckload of cash. For their part, the Diamondbacks are likely rooting for Pollock to achieve his big-money goal if he doesn’t re-sign with them. Should Pollock go elsewhere for upward of $50MM, it would greatly increase the compensation the D-backs would receive.

To this point, only the Astros have been linked to Pollock on MLBTR’s pages since free agency opened, though Nightengale writes that he’s drawing “plenty of interest.” Aside from the Astros, potential fits could include the Giants, White Sox, Cubs, Mets, Indians and Phillies, among others.

The team that signs Pollock will be landing a valuable player who has totaled between 2.3 fWAR and 6.8 fWAR in five seasons, despite his injury woes. The right-handed hitter posted 2.5 fWAR in 460 plate appearances last season, when he slashed .257/.316/.484 (110 wRC+) with a career-high 21 home runs, a personal-best .228 ISO and 13 stolen bases on 15 tries. Those are impressive numbers, but they pale in comparison to Pollock’s offensive production from his 2014-15 heyday, and he’s now coming off a season in which he registered career-worst chase, swinging-strike, strikeout and contact rates. Meanwhile, Pollock did earn mostly solid marks in center field – which has been the case throughout his time in the majors – with six Defensive Runs Saved, six Outs Above Average and a minus-0.7 Ultimate Zone Rating.

On a per-PA basis, Pollock’s career has been better than Fowler’s when he got to the market and similar to Cain’s when he hit free agency. It’s easy to see why Pollock is likely to collect an appreciable raise in the coming weeks, then. Still, Pollock’s longstanding injury issues figure to prevent him from approaching the contracts Fowler and Cain received.

 

lol
heyman trolling

• 9:40 am ET: Jon Heyman: "Blue Jays are interested in Dallas Keuchel."
• 11:24 am ET: Ben Nicholson-Smith: "Blue Jays shopping for lower-tier free-agent starters, not a threat to sign Keuchel."