Dodgers Rumors: Los Angeles interested in Johnny Cueto, others

The Dodgers have written a long list of starting pitcher free agents after losing out on Zack Greinke.

The Los Angeles Dodgers experienced a major blow as starting pitching ace Zack Greinke opted out of his contract and left in free agency. He signed a six-year, $206.5 million contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks. They are now left scrambling for a No. 2 pitcher to take pressure off three-time National League Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw, who finished third in the 2015 voting. CBS Sports MLB reporter Jon Heyman reports that the Dodgers are in talks with many different free-agent starting pitchers.

Johnny Cueto and Hisashi Iwakuma are the hottest commodities that are still available, and Cueto is sure to land a lucrative deal after a strong stint with the Cincinnati Reds. He also aided the Kansas City Royals in their World Series run after they acquired him at the trade deadline. Iwakuma has quietly been a solid No. 2 pitcher in his time with the Seattle Mariners, but it appears likely that the 34-year-old will want to escape the Mariners and sign with a contender.

The Dodgers experienced another early playoff exit against the New York Mets and parted ways with Don Mattingly as their manager, but they figure to still be one of the top teams in baseball. Although the Diamondbacks got a leg up in the NL West race, the Dodgers will be difficult to beat as long as they can maintain a strong rotation.

Mike Leake and Kenta Maeda are also on a long list of pitching candidates for the Dodgers. Although Maeda has no experience outside of Japan, the team has already experienced success with Japanese pitchers such as Hideo Nomo and Hiroki Kuroda. Maeda has a 97-67 record with a 2.39 ERA in eight seasons with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp. Meanwhile, Leake has limited upside since he has a 3.88 career ERA. He can serve as a solid No. 3 pitcher though and may be signed along with an ace such as Cueto.