5 offseason moves the Dodgers should make
By Sean Sears
Anthony Rendon or Gerrit Cole should be at the top of the Dodgers FA list
The Dodgers have roughly $62 mil coming off their payroll after 2019, and while the Dodgers have historically refused to pay the price tag on top free agents, adding either Rendon or Cole might be what this roster needs.
It’s hard to argue that the Dodgers need either of these players, they could just stand pat once again and hope for more development from their young core, but having a known commodity like Rendon in the lineup makes all those young studs better. At 29-years-old, Rendon is one of the league’s best 3B and until a cold month of September, was a real MVP candidate. He’s an upgrade over veteran 3B Justin Turner on the field and at the plate and could let the Dodgers try and move Turner for a reliever if they don’t want to spend big on Rendon and another top bullpen arm.
And after Gerrit Cole’s strong postseason coupled with his excellent season in Houston, every team could use a player like Cole. Slide Cole into a rotation with Walker Buehler and whoever else fills out the backend of the rotation and that may just be the best starting group in baseball. But the Dodgers are a team that doesn’t want to pay the top dollar for players, which both Cole and Rendon will require, so either of them landing in LA is still hard to see at the moment.
But if the Dodgers are serious about this current group, plugging Rendon into a lineup filled with budding power-hitters is the best way to maximize their current window.
Start Alex Verdugo, Will Smith, and Gavin Lux next season
The Dodgers have tons of young players carrying their team, but guys like Cody Bellinger and Joc Pederson need to take the next step as established players in baseball. Having players like Bellinger in place, the Dodgers should start to get the next group of Dodger prospects into the lineup.
Players like Alex Verdugo, who was left off the postseason roster after sitting out since Aug. 4th with an oblique strain, and Will Smith showed last season they can play, so the Dodgers need to get these players into the lineup. Even if players like A.J. Pollack are making $12 mil next season, Verdugo was a key piece to the Dodgers roster this season and it was obvious they missed his energy this postseason.
Smith only played 54 games this season, but hit 15 home runs and finished the year with a .907 OPS. His catching ability is still somewhat in question, having issues catching Ryu earlier this year, but he’s got an excellent arm behind the plate despite only throwing out six out of 20 baserunners this season.
The same can be said for 2B Gavin Lux, who had a so-so debut season with a .705 OPS in the regular season. Lux made the postseason roster but didn’t provide much at the plate with a .222 BA, but as the Dodgers’ current top prospect he deserves a shot to start with his 48 home runs and .866 OPS through four seasons in the minors.
The Dodgers have lots to consider this offseason, but this LA club still has plenty to make another World Series run in 2020 and beyond.