My offseason wishlist
All the moves I want to see the Dodgers make
It’s been a quiet offseason so far for the Dodgers. They’ve made a couple of moves, but nothing really significant.
This past week, they added left-handed pitcher Jack Dreyer to the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. They also non-tendered pitchers Brent Honeywell and Zach Logue.
As things currently stand, the Dodgers’ 40-man is at 36. They have four roster spots available. Obviously, more can become available through trades, should the Dodgers want to free up some more space. They’re expected to have a busy offseason, so four roster spots might not be enough.
Unfortunately, another year has gone by where the Dodgers didn’t give me a call asking if I want to take over and run the team. There’s always next year, right?
Well, if they change their mind over the next few days, here would be my offseason master plan.
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No. 1 — Make a legitimate attempt to sign Juan Soto
You all know where I stand on Juan Soto. I think he’s the best hitter in baseball and the Dodgers should do whatever they can to convince him to sign here. Based on the reports out there, it doesn’t sound like the Dodgers are a legitimate threat to land him, but we can’t count this team out.
We all know Mets owner Steve Cohen is going to overpay like crazy for Soto. Whatever number you think Soto deserves, you might as well throw an extra $100 million because Cohen is going to go nuclear with his offer.
At the end of the day, how much money is enough? If you’re getting $500+ million, you’re set for life. I don’t think his decision will necessarily come down to money. If a number of teams have an offer in the same ballpark, he’ll choose the best fit.
I know the Dodgers aren’t going to go crazy and offer him $700 million like Cohen will, but the Dodgers can submit an offer than can really entice Soto.
Give Soto an offer of 14 years for $650 million. That comes out to roughly $46M AAV. That would be a record-breaking contract.
But here’s the catch.
The Dodgers can attempt to do what they did with Bryce Harper years ago, offering a higher AAV / shorter team contract. Obviously Scott Boras won’t allow his client to accept a four-year deal, but what if the Dodgers did it this way.
Start the contract out with a record-breaking AAV. I’m talking $60 million for the first four years to really grab their attention. So essentially, a 4-year/$240 million contract to kick things off. I know you probably think I’m crazy, but let me explain.
After the fourth year, you have an opt-out in his contract. At this point, Soto will be 30 years old, still in the heart of his prime. He can re-enter free agency and sign a contract north of $500 million. If he continues on his current trajectory, that contract in four years could easily clear $600 million, maybe even $700 million.
He has a chance to make significantly more money this way. Or, if he chooses to remain a Dodger, the remainder of his contract isn’t all that bad. It would then become a 10-year/$410 million contract for Soto, who still projects to be an elite hitter.
I think the Dodgers’ only chance of signing Soto is through an offer like this with an opt-out after a few years. Or, he really doesn’t want to stay in New York and takes significantly less to come here.
No. 2 — Turn your attention to Teoscar Hernandez
You make your push for Juan Soto. If he doesn’t work out, Teoscar Hernandez becomes your top priority.
I don’t have to sell you on Hernandez, you saw what he did for the Dodgers last season. He ended up being one of the best signings of the year across baseball. He was an All-Star, won the Home Run Derby and helped the Dodgers win a World Series.
In addition to his production, his presence in the clubhouse proved to be a real difference maker. His personality was needed and really helped guide the Dodgers to a championship. He’s said numerous times he wants to return to Los Angeles.
Now, it’s not that simple.
After arguably the best season of his career, you’re likely not going to bring Teo back on another one-year deal. Personally, I wouldn’t offer him anything more than a two-year contract, with a club-option for the third year.
The Dodgers are usually pretty smart when it comes to this kind of thing. They’ve shown they’re willing to let fan-favorites walk if the price is out of their comfort zone.
I would offer Teo a higher AAV over the next couple of years to make it worth his while. I’m sure there will be teams out there who will offer a three-year deal, maybe even a four-year deal. I just don’t think locking him up for that long would be smart.
Defensively, Hernandez is terrible. His -9 ‘Outs Above Average’ ranked him in the 2nd percentile last season. His ‘Defensive Runs Saved’ were at -3. His ‘Statcast Fielding Run Value’ was -11, the third worst among qualified outfielders.
Long story short, he’s terrible out there but makes up for it with his bat. His defense is going to continue to get worse on a year-to-year basis.
I also do worry a little about his bat. We saw him have a career-year in 2024. Could he replicate what he did this season? Sure… but I doubt it. Now, don’t hear what I’m not saying. He could still be a very solid bat in the lineup. He could be a guy who goes out there and hits 25+ home runs still. I just don’t think he’s going to give you 2024 production again.
I could be wrong, but that’s just my guess.
I really, really, really want to see Teoscar Hernandez back with the Dodgers in 2025. Hopefully both sides can agree to a contract that benefits the player and the team.
No. 3 — Sign a starting pitcher
Surprise, surprise… but the Dodgers need starting pitching help. As of now, things are pretty up in the air in regards to LA’s starting rotation for 2025. With the addition of Shohei Ohtani, the Dodgers will be moving to a 6-man rotation, which should benefit every arm.
As of now, you have Ohtani, Glasnow and Yamamoto pencilled in as your top three. After that, your guess is as good as mine. Your options are Gonsolin, May, Miller and Knack. All of those options could be solid weapons, but the Dodgers need to solidify another spot in the rotation.
Now, things could get interesting should they sign Roki Sasaki this winter. I didn’t include him as one of the moves because the decision will ultimately come down to him. We know the Dodgers will be aggressive in trying to sign him, but it’ll be his call if he wants to come here.
If he chooses the Dodgers, the rotation gets a massive boost. Even with his potential addition, I think the Dodgers need to sign a big-time starting pitcher as well.
As of now, there are three big starters available on the market: Corbin Burnes, Max Fried and Blake Snell.
Personally, I don’t have a preference and I wouldn’t rank the three in any way. I’d be okay with any one of those three options.
Now with that being said, Burnes is the best pitcher from that group. He was fantastic last season for the Orioles and just finished fifth in Cy Young voting. My only concern would be the contract, as there have been reports of him signing a contract north of $200 million. I have a tough time seeing the Dodgers shelling out that kind of money.
Who knows, maybe they do… but he seems pretty pricey when you don’t need a No. 1 starter THAT BAD. But as I always say, it’s not MY MONEY, so if the Dodgers are comfortable giving him the bag, go for it!
You the have two left-handed options in Snell and Fried. Again, I wouldn’t have a preference. Either would be a great option. It probably just comes down to price. I think Fried will likely cost a little more, considering he’s two years younger than Snell. With that being said, Snell finished 2024 as one of the best starters in baseball, so maybe he commands a bigger contract.
Either way, the Dodgers would be in a great spot if they sign any one of these three names. Having a rotation begin with Yamamoto, Glasnow, Ohtani and (Burnes/Fried/Snell) would be absolutely insane. Could you imagine facing those four guys in a playoff series?
No. 4 — Sign Willy Adames
The Dodgers don’t have a starting shortstop for 2025.
They brought Miguel Rojas back, but I don’t think they want him being their every day starter like he was for majority of 2024. Mookie Betts is moving back to the infield. If they were smart and watched any of his highlights from shortstop in 2024, they’d know that playing him at second base would be best for the team.
There’s also Tommy Edman, but I think his value would serve more as a utility piece as opposed to an every day starting shortstop.
Well, there’s a pretty damn good shortstop available on the market in Willy Adames.
He was a top five shortstop in baseball last season. Among qualified shortstops, here is where he ranked in 2024:
4.8 fWAR (5th)
32 home runs (T-3rd)
112 RBI (1st)
21 stolen bases (T-8th)
10.8 BB% (T-2nd)
.344 xwOBA (6th)
119 wRC+ (7th)
The weird thing about Adames in 2024 was the fact he was pretty bad defensively. Prior to last season, he was one of the best defensive shortstops in all of baseball. I’m not sure what happened last year, but I’ll take his large sample size over one bad year. I’d be pretty confident he’d be elite again at the position.
The reason I’m high on Adames is because the Dodgers don’t really have a Plan B. You don’t want Rojas or Betts playing shortstop, and like I said I don’t think having Edman as your main guy is something that would be smart.
You do have Alex Freeland in the minors, a rising prospect who has cracked some Top 100 lists. But how long can you wait for him? And what if he’s simply not great?
The Dodgers have a chance to add a very solid player in Adames who just turned 29. He hits for power, steals bases, walks a lot and (hopefully) will provide Gold Glove caliber defense at shortstop.
Like with every player, it comes down to the contract. Do I think Adames is worth $200+ million? No.
If that is what it takes to sign him, I don’t think the Dodgers go that route. But if they can get him in the ballpark of a 5-year deal worth $150 million? I could see it happening.
No. 5 — Bring back Kiké Hernández and Blake Treinen
You don’t have to bring everyone back from the World Series winning roster, but a couple guys really feel like necessities.
We’ll start with Kiké Hernández, who once again was a hero for the Dodgers in October. Despite a rough regular season (0.7 fWAR, 83 wRC+) Kiké turned into an All-Star in the playoffs once again.
Hernandez started 13 postseason games for the Dodgers. He hit .306 with a .840 OPS. He also had a number of pretty big hits for the Dodgers in crucial moments, including the go-ahead homer early in Game 5 of the NLDS.
Like with Teoscar Hernandez, the value he brings with his presence in the clubhouse is something the Dodgers desperately need. Not to mention, he’s a guy who always shows up in October, evident by his career .874 OPS in 86 postseason games.
His contract shouldn’t be all that much, plus he won’t be an every day starter in 2025. He’s a bench piece you need to bring back.
The other piece is Blake Treinen, who was lights out for LA in October. He appeared in nine games, posting a 2.19 ERA and 1.45 FIP. In 12.1 innings of work, Treinen struck out 18.
Not only was he a weapon in October, he was fantastic all season for the Dodgers. In 50 games, Treinen posted a 1.93 ERA, 3.00 FIP and 0.94 WHIP. His strikeout rate of 30.4 percent was his best in a full season since his 2018 campaign where he received Cy Young votes.
We know how crucial it is to have a great bullpen and the Dodgers got to bring back one of their top arms.
No. 6 — Sign another reliever
As things currently stand, the Dodgers’ bullpen has a lot of question marks for 2025. As of now, the names who will be returning include Banda, Brasier, Graterol, Kopech, Phillips and Vesia.
Graterol is expected to miss the first half of the season, so you really only have five locked in names at the moment. As we’ve seen in previous years, you can never have enough arms. I think the Dodgers should be searching the market for a bullpen piece.
Whether that be spending big bucks on a big name or taking a one-year shot on someone else, I think they could use another weapon in the bullpen who could potentially become a high-leverage arm.
Well, there’s my master plan for the offseason. Those are the moves I’d love to see the Dodgers make. Knowing this team, there will be a number of signings and trades that we don’t see coming.
If one of these things happens on this list I’ll be thrilled. If multiple happen, I’ll be ecstatic.
(Assume health) I think we see Dustin May step into a bullpen role for us this year. He's got Treinen type stuff.
1. Juan Soto isn't coming to LA for a four-year AAV-demolishing deal, period. LA is a stalking horse in these negotiations, and because Steve Cohen is involved, Soto's market will NEVER soften to the point where the Dodgers can do their patented late-game swoop. And while he's a great hitter--full stop--the Dodgers are arguably the one team that doesn't NEED him to be a WS contender--and thus, that $600M would be much better spent elsewhere. The only way I could envision it would be if the LADs think Soto can be taught to play 1B, where they can hide his glove in a few years when Freddie is done. Short of that, DH is spoken for, and that's where Soto is headed, (much) sooner rather than later.
2. Teo on a two-plus-club-option is a no-brainer. Pay the man and let's get on with it.
3. Signing an elite starting pitcher is a no-brainer; thinking Corbin Burnes is worth seven years at north of $200M is just silly. With his plummeting K rate, Burnes' juice just isn't worth the squeeze.
Meanwhile, Snell might be a swell dude, secretly beloved by teammates, etc. But he does not give that vibe at all, and even when he was good last year--the great second half, the no-hitter--he still just doesn't seem a personality you want to add to LA's elite clubhouse feel. The Cy Young seasons were good enough, but all the others mostly weren't. And when he finally pitched into the 8th inning in that no-hitter, his post-game attitude--as though he silenced the doubters of his very questionable mettle--was bush-league garbage. And since you know he's going to miss some starts (something of an LA scourge, at this point) and since you don't really know what you're paying for, let a West rival pay that price.
Fried, on the last hand, is the kind of pitcher whose stuff figures to age well. He's not completely dependent on swing-and-miss, and a pitch-to-weak-contact guy who nevertheless has an ace ceiling (all coming from the left, which is needed balance with the essential reduction of Kersh's role) AND is a close friend of Freddie's (who's actually good, as opposed to JHey) AND is a local kid is...well, he's clearly the guy.
(Also, I realize it's fun to write "Ohtani, Yamamoto, Glasnow and Free Agent TK--imagine how tough that would be in October!" But Ohtani is coming off a second TJ...Yamamoto hopefully stays healther in a six-man rotation this year...and Glasnow, at this point, simply cannot be counted upon to make it that far in any one season, to the point that, while I'm not ready to throw dirt on the deal itself, Glasnow has something to prove over the next SEVERAL seasons if he wants to be remembered as something other than a luxe sports car forever in the shop.
So the Dodgers NEED another frontline arm--period.)
4. Willy Adames just makes too much sense, for all the reasons mentioned and because--should his defense at SS prove increasingly bad over the next two-ish seasons--he can always move to 3B in Max's place, and we can solve the SS problem again. But Adames bat in the 6-hole and his by-all-accounts phenomenal clubhouse rep makes him a MUST-sign.
5. Can take or leave both Kike and Treinen. October Kike is worth so much that I could live with his declining regular-season production, though we can always just trade for him again at the deadline. And Treinen's stuff is the best on the team when he's healthy, but that's not a sure thing and age at some point comes for all of us (and Devin Williams and Ryan Helsley are both out there and available, and the LADs have LOTS of movable assets). So...yeah, OK--but if not, that's OK too.
And frankly, if Buehler is looking at pillow deals (one-plus-option, say) from multiple teams, I say bring him back and let him rebuild his value as a Dodger. Because what more does he have to do, when it matters most?