Let me show you something.
Here is a lineup the Dodgers could unveil on Opening Da.
- Mookie Betts, RF
- Max Muncy, 1B
- Justin Turner, 3B
- Cody Bellinger, CF
- Joc Pederson, LF
- Corey Seager, SS
- Gavin Lux, 2B
- Will Smith, C
After months of posturing and preliminary discussions, the team remains engaged with Boston about a trade involving Mookie Betts, according to people familiar with the situation. The Dodgers have the financial resources and the prospects necessary to acquire Betts, the 2018 American League MVP and a consensus top-five player in the sport. As new Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom ponders how to forge his franchise’s path forward, the Dodgers and the Padres loom as the most likely landing spots for Betts, if a trade is to be consummated.
Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers president of baseball operations, has spent all winter hunting for a star. Betts fits the bill. His bat would catalyze the offense. His skill in the outfield would aid the defense. And his mere presence would change the conversation after an unpleasant offseason spent smoldering over a first-round exit in the 2019 playoffs and dredging up memories of losing to the Astros in the 2017 World Series. Trading for Betts would demonstrate the ownership group’s commitment to ending the 31-year championship drought.
Betts plays a different position than pitcher Gerrit Cole, who was the team’s top target heading into 2020. But in a sense, he could fill a similar role. Betts wields the sort of ability which causes fans to flock to the ballpark. His talent could swing a playoff series. And considering the team’s interest in signing Betts as a free agent next winter, giving him a chance to experience Los Angeles for a year could aid the recruiting efforts.
After crashing out in defeat to Washington in October, the Dodgers showed their thirst for improvement when they offered Cole a $300 million contract. Cole took a larger package from the Yankees, however, one without deferred money. After third baseman Anthony Rendon spurned the Dodgers’ advances, Friedman concentrated on trade talks. A deal for Cleveland shortstop Francisco Lindor fizzled; the Dodgers believe Colorado wouldn’t move franchise pillar Nolan Arenado to a division rival. The team appeared content to report to Camelback Ranch next month with their roster relatively unchanged from last season.
In recent days, though, dialogue with Boston has approached a resolution on Betts.
The Dodgers lack interest in parting with elite prospects like Lux or pitcher Dustin May. But their organization features a plethora of other options — from big-league assets like Enrique Hernández and Chris Taylor to up-and-coming performers like outfielder Alex Verdugo and pitcher Tony Gonsolin to farmhands like catching prospect Keibert Ruiz or pitching prospect Josiah Gray — from which Bloom could build a reasonable package for Betts. The discussions, though, are more complicated than that.
One scenario being discussed would involve former American League Cy Young award winner David Price. Price, 34, is still owed $96 million over the next three seasons. He logged only 107.1 innings with a 4.28 ERA in 2019. Despite their financial flexibility, the Dodgers are likely to balk at absorbing the entirety of Price’s contract. Two rival executives say they would not value Price at more than $15 million per season. The Dodgers are not incentivized to take on Price’s money just to land Betts.
What to know why? Let me show you something else.
Here is another lineup the Dodgers could unveil on Opening Day:
- Pederson, RF
- Muncy, 1B
- Turner, 3B
- Bellinger, CF
- Seager, SS
- Lux, 2B
- Verdugo, LF
- Smith, C
Friedman understands this. The superiority of his team plays a significant role in weighing how much to offer for one season with Betts. Betts would make the Dodgers better. He is a special talent. And they can also win a championship without him. That understanding informs all of the discussions involving Betts, especially if Boston insists on foisting another expensive contract onto the acquiring team.
Consider how the two other division winners, plus the champions in Washington, tackled this offseason. The Nationals lost star third baseman Rendon in free agency. Atlanta made a series of maneuvers to refurbish their pitching staff, but will still take the field in 2020 without the player who led their team in wins above replacement, according to Baseball-Reference. The Braves hopes to replace the production of Josh Donaldson (127 OPS+ in 2019) with that of Marcell Ozuna (107 OPS+). The Cardinals let Ozuna depart, and have not done much of anything in response.
For the Dodgers, a more significant threat may loom inside their own division. Arizona lured Madison Bumgarner to headline its rotation while acquiring Starling Marte to improve their offense. A bevy of other additions — Kole Calhoun, Stephen Vogt, Héctor Rondón — deepened the Diamondbacks roster. Arizona may not be able to end the Dodgers’ reign at the top of the West. But they might at least pose a challenge.
The presence of San Diego in the Betts sweepstakes should also galvanize Friedman — at least to a point. The Padres improved their bullpen this winter and traded for outfielder Tommy Pham. Even so, though, acquiring Betts may not be enough to permit San Diego to leapfrog the Dodgers.
So Friedman resides in a familiar position. He has the capacity to add a star without hamstringing the organization’s future. He demonstrated the ability to pull off similar deals when acquiring Yu Darvish and Manny Machado in recent years. The addition of Betts would be an even more resounding coup.
What to know why? Take a look at that first lineup. It might just become a reality.
No comments:
Post a Comment