This is a project where 30 people got together to act as the GMs of the 30 MLB teams with the idea of conducting the offseason in one week. This is what happened in this simulation, not a prediction of what will happen in real life.
By Bob Lowe
As the third team left standing in Major League Baseball, the Los Angeles Dodgers mostly stood pat in the offseason.
The big additions to the 2017 roster:
-Slugging outfielder Ryan Braun
-Third baseman Luis Valbuena
-Second baseman Sean Rodriguez
Notable free agent signings were:
-RP Kenley Jansen
-LHP Rich Hill
Notable deletions are:
-Third baseman Justin Turner
-OF Yasiel Puig
-LHP JP Howell
-OF Josh Reddick
-RP Joe Blanton
The Dodger hot stove started with arbitration. The Boys in Blue offered arbitration to all eligible players, partly due to the relatively affordable cost of each player.
The blockbuster of the offseason was sending of OF Yasiel Puig and RHP Brandon McCarthy to Milwaukee for OF Ryan Braun. The salaries of the duo match Braun’s 19 million. Puig ends a soap opera of career in LA. He had an incredible start and then tailed off. However, after joining the club for September and the playoffs, he was a solid contributor for the club. McCarthy was expendable, although moving a southpaw would have been a better move.
As for Braun, he addresses the team’s biggest weakness: lack of a strong bat vs. LHPs. The Hebrew Hammer returns to his hometown with a .304 career batting average and 285 home runs. However, his .344 batting average vs. LHPs in 2016 addresses a big achilles heel for LA.
He will join Joc Pederson in the outfield. Expect Andrew Toles and Andrew Ethier to see time against RHPs. When lefties are on the bump, Trace Thompson, Howie Kendrick and Kike Hernandez can fill the holes.
Adrian Gonzalez is back at first base. He carried the team early in the year and is a clubhouse leader. Kendrick and Hernandez can spell new 2B Sean Rodriguez. MLP ROY Cory Seager is penned in at shortstop for 2017 and beyond.
At third base, the Dodgers were outbid for Justin Turner. He had a career year for LAD and will be missed in the clubhouse and on defense. However, this move could benefit the Dodgers since Turner has been injury prone. Replacing him will former Houston Luis Valbuena. He arrives after a career-best .816 OPS in 2016.
The Dodgers will enter 2017 with a familiar top-three starting rotation of Clayton Kershaw, Rich Hill, Kenta Maeda. Julio Urias could land a spot, but they may micromanage his innings again next year. Scott Kazmir. Hyun-Jin Ryu and Brett Anderson return from injury trouble. Jose DeLeon could be a factor, but his innings will be managed. Ross Stripling keeps the spot starter long-relief role. Alex Wood is an option, too.
In the bullpen, LAD paid closer Kenley Jansen was strategically paid 22.4 million, cementing the Curacao native below Keshaw but ahead of Gonzalez as the second highest paid Dodger. Pedro Baez, Adam Liberatore, Luis Avilan, Grant Dayton and Chris Hatcher bolster the LAD pen.
Behind the plate, Yasmani Grandal and Carlos Ruiz provide a solid crew. Grandal switch hits and can spell Adrian Gonzalez at first base. Ruiz offers a clutch righty bat off the bench, too.
On paper, the Los Angeles Dodgers have the cast to capture its fifth straight National League West Title in 2017.
| Pos’n | ML Srv | Agent | Length / Total Value | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kershaw, Clayton | lhp-s | 7.105 | Excel Sports | 7 yr/$215M (14-20) | $34,571,429 | $35.57 | $35.57 | $34.57 | $35.57 | FA | |
| Gonzalez, Adrian | 1b | 10.108 | John Bogg | 7 yr/$154M (12-18) | $21,857,143 | $22.36 | $22.36 | FA | |||
| Ethier, Andre | cf | 9.153 | CAA Sports | 5 yr/$85M (13-17)+18 cl opt | $18,000,000 | $17.50 | $2.50 | ||||
| Anderson, Brett | lhp-s | 7 | Legacy Agency | 1 yr/$15.8M (16) | $15,800,000 | ||||||
| Kazmir, Scott | lhp-s | 9.119 | Legacy Agency | 3 yr/$48M (16-18) | $12,666,667 | $17.67 | $17.67 | FA | |||
| Valbuena, Luis | 3b | $6.10 | |||||||||
| Jansen, Kenley | rhp-c | 5.073 | Wasserman Media (prev Joshua Kusnick, Double Diamond Sports Mgt) | 1 yr/$10.65M (16) | $10,650,000 | 22.4 | |||||
| Kendrick, Howie | 2b | 9.091 | Reynolds Sports | 2 yr/$20M (16-17) | $10,000,000 | $10.00 | FA | ||||
| Ruiz, Carlos | c | 9.069 | Marc Kligman | 3 yr/$26M (14-16)+17 cl opt | $8,500,000 | $0.50 | |||||
| Ryan Braun | OF | $19.00 | |||||||||
| Hill, Rich | lhp-s | 6.127 | ACES | 1 yr/$6M (16) | $6,000,000 | 17.1 | |||||
| Rodriguez, Sean | 2b | 5.1 | |||||||||
| Maeda, Kenta | rhp-s | 0 | Wasserman Media, Adam Katz | 8 yr/$25M (16-23) | $3,125,000 | $3.13 | $3.13 | $3.13 | $3.13 | $3.13 | |
| Grandal, Yasmani | c | 3.115 | Legacy Agency | 1 yr/$2.8M (16) | $2,800,000 | 2,800,000 | A3 | FA | |||
| Coleman, Louis | rhp | 3.018 | Frontline | 1 yr/$0.725M (16) | $725,000 | 725,000 | A3 | FA | |||
| Baez, Pedro | rhp | 1.059 | Kelvin Nova | 1 yr/$0.52M (16) | $520,000 | 520,000 | A1 | A2 | A3 | FA | |
| Hernandez, Enrique “Kike” | 2b-ss | 1.054 | Rep 1 Baseball | 1 yr/$0.52M (16) | $520,000 | 520,000 | A1 | A2 | A3 | FA | |
| Pederson, Joc | cf | 1.028 | Excel Sports | 1 yr/$0.52M (16) | $520,000 | 520,000 | A1 | A2 | A3 | FA | |
| Thompson, Trayce | of | 0.063 | Wasserman Media | 1 yr/$0.5125M (16) | $512,500 | 512,500 | |||||
| Seager, Corey | ss | 0.032 | Boras Corp. | 1 yr/$0.51M (16) | $510,000 | 510,000 | |||||
| Avilan, Luis | lhp | 3.077 | SPS Sports Group (prev Morgan Advisory Gp) | 1 yr/$1.39M (16) | $1,390,000 | 1,390,000 | A3 | FA | |||
| Dayton, Grant | lhp | 0 | Full Circle Spts | 1 yr (16) | 510,000 | 510,000 | |||||
| Liberatore, Adam | lhp | 0.106 | 1 yr (16) | 510,000 | |||||||
| Stripling, Ross | rhp | 0 | Beverly Hills SC | 1 yr (16) | 510,000 | 510,000 | |||||
| Toles, Andrew | of | 0 | Reynolds Sports | 1 yr (16) | 510,000 | ||||||
| Urias, Julio | lhp-s | 0 | Boras Corp. | 1 yr (16) | 510,000 |
Sean Rodriguez? The career utility guy? You gave him 5.1 and the starting job? Also, I understand missing out on Turner, but how does a team wanting to go for a title put a third baseman in the lineup that has struggled most of his career keeping his average over .220?
I’m with Gus. While there wasn’t a lot of options for 3B, that gigantic payroll of yours should have gotten someone better…
Like Wilmer Flores…
I actually loved the Sean Rodriguez signing. He had a really good season and deserves a shot at a larger role. If it doesn’t work out, Willie Calhoun is close to the majors and Kendrick and Hernandez are still on the roster.