MLB 2020-2021 OFF-SEASON NEWS AND RUMORS

Discussion in 'Los Angeles DODGERS' started by ColoradoKidWitGame, Oct 28, 2020.

  1. ColoradoKidWitGame

    ColoradoKidWitGame DSP Legend Administrator

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    • Something I missed in the Lindor news yesterday was that the same beat reporter mentioned that Lindor had previously been very excited about the idea of joining the Dodgers. His info is about a year old, but he was told by Lindor's camp that he would have been interested in signing a long term extension with the club after a trade. With this being before the Betts acquisition, one would still assume that those feelings have not changed after the club won a WS in 2020. There are no signs that the Dodgers and Indians have re-engaged in trade talks, it was just a bit of remaining info from the year before. If anyone was ahead in talks, it would appear to be the Blue Jays at this time. The Indians would likely want a package of cheap MLB ready players since the club thinks they are still competitive. The Dodgers do have that, but it is hard to see which ones the club would be ok parting with for 1 year of control and a couple of big losses to the roster.
    • The questions around this offseason continue to mount. Basically every MLB team is crying poverty with even the Dodgers owners grumbling about massive losses in 2020. Around the sport it is more of a story of who IS buying over who isn't. Around the game, here are said to be the teams to watch this offseason:
      • The Big Buyers: The Mets and Blue Jays. These are the only two teams that are said to be truly aggressive this offseason thus far. The Jays have the money and the young pieces to build around while the Mets have the rich new owner that wants to make an impact. The interesting thing is they may not be in on the biggest prizes of the winter, but may look to signing a number of the second tier guys to add more depth.
      • The Ones Believed In: The Dodgers, Giants, White Sox, Yankees and Angels. There is no evidence that any of these teams are being hyper aggressive thus far, but these are the franchises with the deepest pockets that many think could have weathered the storm a bit better than the others. The Dodgers and Yankees are here on name alone, but there have been few signs that they will be aggressive to a point of blowing over the tax threshold which both are close to. The White Sox are here due to the last couple of years, but they have apparently taken their names out of some talks so there are questions about financial flexibility. The Angels are in here cause they have Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon with a shitty roster and nutter ball of an owner who could go either way at any moment. Their great trade today doesn't shine a light to them being big spenders as they took on marginal money for a very good reliever. The Giants are speculated to be buyers as they are in the wealthier teams category and need to see some improvement. There was a feeling early on that they were going to be in on the big names, that has changed to a feeling of a more calculated approach where they could look at landing guys at a couple of spots to fill in and help build a more complete roster.
      • The Wild Cards: Phillies, Rangers Mariners, Twins and Nationals: Phillies are in on some bigger name players, but have also had reports of having to drastically cut payroll including a whirlwind Sunday of news. We won't know what their situation is until they do something, but as I said they have been in on some big prizes according to reports. The Mariners and Rangers are here cause nobody knows what those clubs will ever do. The Mariners have some interesting young prospects to build around and the Rangers have a new stadium that they hope to someday host large amounts of fans in. The Twins were not expected to spend based on a couple non-tenders, but have also had their names in on more than a couple FA's. They won't big game hunt, but could be looking for some bargains. The Nationals are a huge question mark this winter. Their owners are said to want to get back into contention, but they have a ton of money committed to 3 guys already and a lot of openings to fill. They will more than likely look to fill multiple roles, but they can never be scratched off when it comes to the big names just due to history.
      • The big theme with most of these teams is that many are expected to be bargain hunters, so it leaves a lot of questions on the bigger names out there. The free agent market is fairly weak in terms of numbers at the top, but where this penny pinching gets interesting is when you start talking about all the big names apparently getting floated in trades. The options are just not out there.
    • Joc Pederson is supposedly getting interest on the FA market, but he could wait until a decision is made on the UDH. The Cardinals are said to be one of the stronger pursuers for his services.
    • RHP Tomoyuki Sugano has been posted by the Yomiuri Giants. This is going to be interesting as this is one of the better pitchers out of Japan, but he is already 31 and a year removed from a really bad season. He has been great at limiting hitters over his career, but has never been much of a strikeout guy which does not play well in MLB.
    • IF Ha-Seong Kim has been posted by the Kiwoom Heroes out of the KBO. This is the more interesting posting today as Kim has some fans here in the USA. There are some scouts that feel he will be the rare success to come out of Korea and actually hold his own as a hitter. The 5'9" Kim is likely destined for 2B or 3B with most clubs, but this dude packs a punch. Location is said to not be an option and he is looking for somewhere he can start right away.
     
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  2. fsudog21

    fsudog21 DSP Legend

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  3. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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  4. LAdiablo

    LAdiablo descarado

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    Dick Allen is some of my first memories of bb
    don't really recall his days as a Dodger but remember this huge man in glasses w that massive bat
    he was like the reaper
     
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  5. Fall Winslow

    Fall Winslow McRib

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    Lindor was eyeing Seager's position from afar? Shocked to learn this. Not really. Simple way to see it..Lindor represents a clear upgrade at the SS position, but should also nab $100MM+ more than Seager on the FA market, so he's the very expensive upgrade. Seager represents the passable, cheaper option at SS, or at least he should..given that he has Boras as his agent, can't really get a complete lock on the figures it'd take to sign him. Taking his injury history into account, wouldn't be comfortable going too far past $160MM for Seager..maybe 180. That's probably half of what Boras will be looking for

    If Seager's willing to take the reasonable/much cheaper deal..that's been the Dodgers' language for a while now. That Seager's battled so many injuries..obviously LAD's fluent here as well. You know what I prefer. Make the trade, successfully defend the WS title, and figure out the $$$ later. Don't need to see Lux. Already know what Lux is - and that's not as good as Lindor at playing SS and won't ever be unless Lindor breaks down physically

    Not surprised to see the Jays all over Lindor..they should be, but in reality they're more of a fit for Seager. Dodgers should get the best guy..they're the better franchise and have more to gain right now. And Lindor should prefer Dodgers over Jays for obvious reasons. Jays need to go back to the ROX for their star..go and free Arenado the same way they went to the ROX for Tulo 5 or 6 years ago
     
  6. No Name

    No Name Well-Known Member

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    I'm not sure Lindor gets 100 million more than Seager. Seager is back on everyone's radar, ws hero, Boras client.
     
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  7. ColoradoKidWitGame

    ColoradoKidWitGame DSP Legend Administrator

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    • The Dodgers are said to be one of the teams kicking around on DJ LeMahieu. The belief is that he would slide over to 3B for the club to replace Justin Turner. LeMahieu has supposedly asked the Yankees for a deal around 5 Yrs and $100M, but they reportedly balked at that figure. Would guess the chances of him getting $20M a year from the Dodgers is slim to nil as he has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career for a full season, he's at the back end of his early 30's and there are worries about just what he will do when his home stadium is not a hitters haven. While he showed mix results in 2019 in some of the leagues more prevalent pitchers parks, a step back in an admittedly SSS in 2020 on the road could give teams some pause when it comes to a longer term deal. Since joining the Yankees, his road OPS was .818 in 2019 and .759 in 2020. His numbers have been heavily impacted by his home OPS being .977 and 1.265. It is hard to see what will happen with those numbers when he doesn't have the short porch in RF to drive line drives over, which is something he has taken advantage of. His ability to spray hits is where his value may lie most if he's not in a hitters park, which finding holes could become even more important as he is not one to take a ton of walks and while he had 26 HR's in 2019 with another 10 in 2020, those numbers were heavily aided by 27 coming at Yankee Stadium. I find myself very on the fence about LeMahieu, he would be an interesting hitter at the top of our lineup, but his bust factor seems somewhat high. Interestingly, there are rumblings that the Dodgers and Turner may not be seeing eye to eye in early talks as Turner has supposedly been more open to the idea of playing for a new team in 2021 compared to his last go in free agency.
    • The White Sox have acquired Lance Lynn from the Rangers. It was a surprisingly weak package going the other way and may shine light at the Rangers not being as aggressive as once believed this winter. Interestingly, Rosenthal is reporting that Lynn was not traded at the 2020 deadline as he would opt out if he did not go to a team on his preferred list. There were multiple reports that the Dodgers had gone hard after Lynn with some reporters saying we were close, but could not get a deal done. Rangers President Jon Daniels said he could not pull the trigger on a deal where he new Lynn would immediately opt out. So... I would assume that he did not want to play for us. Reports were that the Sox would now focus on RF and they wasted no time in signing Adam Eaton whom they once traded for a package that included Lucas Giolito and RHP Dave Dunning. They used Dunning as the centerpiece earlier today in the deal that got them Lynn. The Sox were supposedly in on Joc, so that will take one team out of the running.
    • The Giants signed former top prospect Matt Wisler to a 1 year deal. This is an interesting upside move as Wisler is coming off a season where he was really, really good. He was used as a reliever and occasional opener in 2020, but far and away saw the best numbers of his career. He relied almost entirely on his slider(sounds like another former Giant and pitcher he shared the bullpen with last year) as his fastball is fairly mediocre as it saw the lowest velo numbers of his career averaging 92 MPH. With the way Kapler was managing their bullpen, this could be an interesting addition to that club.
     
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  8. ColoradoKidWitGame

    ColoradoKidWitGame DSP Legend Administrator

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    Especially if Seager has another healthy season before free agency. Even though he may not be a SS long term, if Seager has another high .800's-low .900's OPS, he will probably get the biggest contract of the offseason a year from now as teams will think the injury issues are behind him. While Lindor is the far superior defender, he'll get dinged for being smaller and unless he gets traded to a major market, that too cause "Seager has done it already on the big stage". You will hear how Seager's size and bat will allow him to move to 3B or 1B while if Lindor regresses on defense, he will have to move to 2B or like LF and hope he still has his pop. Lindor will take a hit due to history not exactly being on his side either for smaller guys holding up offensively long term at SS. I could see Seager having a larger market alone just due to "versatility". Still, with 5 big name SS's coming on the market a year from now after another potential rough season for clubs financially, it could be a shit show. Right now it would appear to be the White Sox, Yankees, Dodgers, Tigers, Rangers, Phillies, Nationals, Mets, Mariners, Giants, Blue Jays, Astros and Angels that would likely pay for and need a SS or 3B. Seager shows he can't stay healthy and all bets are off though and Lindor should be easily the prize of the offseason.
     
  9. darth550

    darth550 Baba Yaga

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  10. ColoradoKidWitGame

    ColoradoKidWitGame DSP Legend Administrator

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    A new report says the Yankees have offered a 4 year deal for LeMahieu. Gonna go out on a limb and say that we are likely out if that's what he's potentially going to get.
     
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  11. rube

    rube DSP Legend Staff Member Administrator

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    Why does Turner need to be replaced is my question, is he demanding LeMahieu type contract?
    Turner has ample late inning replacements/platoon within the organization if his defense/health becomes too much of an issue.
    Turner is the type of player that brings more to the team than the sum of his stats.
    Unless they bring in a player of the caliber of Lindor and somebody has to move to 3B.
     
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  12. MZA

    MZA MODERATOR Staff Member

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    It’s possible Turner is getting looks from a bunch of different teams, like the Blue Jays who will massively overpay him/give him more years. Dodgers probably don’t want to go more than a few years for a 36 year old at a premium price but will give him a deal they think is reasonable for both parties.

    But if Turner wants to cash in who’s to stop him? So in effect we would need a new 3B
     
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  13. ColoradoKidWitGame

    ColoradoKidWitGame DSP Legend Administrator

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    I think the team is exploring their options, but they may be wary of how much more Turner can help with where his legs are going, and he may want a longer contract than they're comfortable with. With what the Dodgers have coming, they may only want a 1 year deal for Turner and let's not forget that the club has previously approached him about potentially changing positions so they may not see him as a viable 3B anymore. His numbers were also not great at the position and with Seager not exactly being rangy either, the club may want a little more athleticism on that side of the field.
     
  14. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    fuck lemahieu
    i love turner, but if he balks at a 1-2 yr deal hand 3b to rios
     
  15. No Name

    No Name Well-Known Member

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    All worries about DJL are also there with Turner. DJL is younger, better at D, healthier and more athletic. Both are adored in the clubhouse. If the cost is comparable I'm not sure there is much to think about.
     
  16. No Name

    No Name Well-Known Member

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    I am against signing Turner. If he gets even close to what he earned last year the team who signs him is going to be hating life. History says guys fall apart at age 36. His legs are already falling off.
     
  17. Fall Winslow

    Fall Winslow McRib

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    Yeah, again, Boras' presence alone is enough to muddy the picture. Can see Boras looking for double price of what Seager actually should get. Probably a fair assumption there, and with the couple/few orgs that should pay Boras' price to have Seager play SS. Dodgers shouldn't be among those teams. Certainly not 1 calendar year after shopping him on the trade market. Jays should be in for Seager..Mets too

    If Boras wants to pull a Mookie..I say go ahead. Do your worst. Get out there and find a trade partner that wants to pay your price. LAD FO should have open ears if they can get a Verdugo level player back for Seager. Pull the trigger. Blood in, blood out. Then hit the road for Lindor to replace Seager
     
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  18. Fall Winslow

    Fall Winslow McRib

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    Seager really should be considering a move to 3B. He's not gonna wake up and all of a sudden become a plus defender at SS. Signing a pumped up Boras contract to play SS for some star starved org is just gonna lead to disappointment for everybody. Smells exactly like a Mets situation

    But if Seager shows he can be a plus defender at 3B, maybe he could pull in something closer the Arenado's $260MM and legitimately help a team in the field/on defense. For LAD, though, this is the time for aggression + precision....not sloppy aggression. Dodgers should spend wisely - on Lindor to play SS
     
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  19. ColoradoKidWitGame

    ColoradoKidWitGame DSP Legend Administrator

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    • Dodgers VP of Baseball Ops, Josh Byrnes has taken his name out of consideration for the GM job in Philly.
    • Enrique Hernandez seemed to hint last night in an Instagram post that he will be moving on from the Dodgers as he posted a picture with a question mark over the logo on what was once a Dodgers cap. He is said to be seeking a full time starting opportunity, so expectations were that he was as good as gone anyway. So far the only teams said to be interested publicly have been clubs that would use him in a role similar to what he did for us the past couple of years, but maybe with a bit more regular usage.
    • The Dodgers MiLB affiliates have been announced and there was a surprise as the team was thought to be moving their HiA affiliate to Washington, but it appears that our A ball affiliates are merely switching spots. So Hi A will now be Great Lakes and Rancho will be LoA.
    • The Dodgers may be on the verge of an unexpected loss to the team. The Cubs are said to be closing in on their new play by play announcer and apparently atop their list is... Joe Davis. Davis has become a hot commodity in the broadcasting world as he is seen as a rising star. Davis turned down an offer to return home and be the Tigers new front man a year ago, but this could be different. Chicago is a much stronger media market and Davis grew up a big Cubs fan. While LA offers a great lifestyle, their could be a draw to return closer to home and base in the Chicago area as Davis would be centrally located for his other gig, college football broadcasts. There is no certainty that he will leave and some speculate his preference may be to stay in LA at this point, but man would that be a shitty loss. I enjoy Davis immensely and his pairing with Bulldog has been fun to listen to.
    • Buster Olney is reporting that their is some heavy confusion with the Universal DH. NL teams have been told by MLB to not expect the UDH next year, but everyone assumes there will be one after the talks that have taken place. This thing is a mess and why it is a joke they waited a month and a half to start these talks.
    • The Padres were said to be trying hard for Lance Lynn before he went to the White Sox and that they are continuing to be very aggressive. The question is how much they can afford to take on when they need rotation and bullpen help, while having a pretty pricy roster already in line. Lynn offered top end help and a cheap yearly price, but it is interesting how they could have missed out when the price was fairly cheap by most measures. There are rumors that they have been in contact with the Reds and Rays about their available starters Sonny Gray and Blake Snell, but there is no word on where talks are. Presumption is that if they wanted Blake Snell, the prospect cost could be massive, i.e. Mackenzie Gore big. Personally... I would welcome that trade based on everything I have heard about the kid.
    • James McCann is close to a deal for 4 years with the Mets. While only doing it in 30 games, McCann built on a breakout 2019. If he has figured it out, this could be a solid signing, but McCann also had 4 years of mediocrity that should have put him behind J.T. Realmuto on the market. Realmuto was said to be the top target, but there were rumors that he does not want to play in NY. This would close a huge window for the star backstop and open up questions of just who would really be left to pursue him. One would guess it was a one horse race with the Blue Jays there.
    • A report out of NYC says that the Yankees are working on a budget this year after massive losses in 2020.
     
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  20. Lasorda's Gut

    Lasorda's Gut Well-Known Member

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    In my mind’s eye I just have this visualization of Seager being a disaster at 3B. His throws to first from SS are often off-line or in the dirt, and barely on time, and everything about the way he moves is so deliberate and slow-twitch. There’s no way he’s anywhere near the defensive 3B that Turner is, and I know that is asking way too much, but I have a feeling it will be even less smooth of a transition than people seem to think.
     
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