Headlines

  • Brewers Have Interest In Ryan O’Hearn
  • Brewers Acquire Danny Jansen
  • Ryne Sandberg Passes Away
  • 4 More Days To Lock In Savings On Trade Rumors Front Office
  • Dodgers To Promote Alex Freeland
  • Rays To Acquire Nick Fortes From Marlins
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

MLB Trade Rumors

Remove Ads
  • Home
  • Teams
    • AL East
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Yankees
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
    • AL Central
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Guardians
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Minnesota Twins
    • AL West
      • Houston Astros
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Oakland Athletics
      • Seattle Mariners
      • Texas Rangers
    • NL East
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Miami Marlins
      • New York Mets
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • Washington Nationals
    • NL Central
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • St. Louis Cardinals
    • NL West
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • San Diego Padres
      • San Francisco Giants
  • About
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Tim Dierkes
    • Writing team
    • Advertise
    • Archives
  • Contact
  • Tools
    • 2025 Trade Deadline Outlook Series
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Agency Database
  • NBA/NFL/NHL
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • App
  • Chats
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Offseason Outlook: Los Angeles Dodgers

By Tim Dierkes | October 25, 2011 at 4:27pm CDT

The Dodgers' ownership battle may be coming to a close, but Ned Colletti must endure uncertainty for one more offseason as he tries to improve the team's offense and sign a veteran starter.

Guaranteed Contracts

  • Ted Lilly, SP: $25.5MM through 2013
  • Chad Billingsley, SP: $35MM through 2014
  • Juan Uribe, IF: $16MM through 2013
  • Matt Guerrier, RP: $9.75MM through 2013

Arbitration Eligible Players (estimated salaries)

  • Matt Kemp, CF: $16.3MM
  • Andre Ethier, RF: $10.7MM
  • Clayton Kershaw, SP: $8.4MM
  • James Loney, 1B: $6.5MM (non-tender candidate)
  • Hong-Chih Kuo, RP: $2.5MM (non-tender candidate)
  • Tony Gwynn Jr., OF: $1.1MM (non-tender candidate)

Free Agents

  • Hiroki Kuroda (SP), Jonathan Broxton (RP), Casey Blake (3B), Juan Rivera (OF/1B), Jon Garland (SP), Rod Barajas (C), Jamey Carroll (2B/SS), Vicente Padilla (RP), Mike MacDougal (RP), Aaron Miles (2B/3B)

Dodgers fans hope the end is in sight for the battle over ownership of their team.  The bankruptcy hearings begin on Halloween, as current Dodgers owner Frank McCourt seeks the ability to auction the team's television rights while Fox and MLB seek termination of McCourt's ownership.  Josh Fisher of Dodger Divorce said selling the TV rights is McCourt's only path to survival as the team's owner.  The hearings will certainly keep Fisher and the L.A. Times' Bill Shaikin busy, but there are still crucial player personnel decisions to make for the Dodgers this offseason.

Dodgers GM Ned Colletti said he has a basic idea of the team's budget.  In September, he said his aim is improving the offense in "the most dramatic way," implying Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder could be targets.  I just can't see the ownership situation resolved quickly enough for that to happen, though.  Even if MLB does force the sale of the Dodgers, it'd take months to get new ownership approved.  In the interim, it seems unrealistic for MLB to approve adding a massive amount of debt.

It'll be costly just for Colletti to resolve the Dodgers' internal business.  Out of 209 arbitration eligible players, Kemp's settlement projects as the second-highest salary, Ethier's the fifth-highest, and Kershaw's the ninth-highest.  Unless their salaries are reduced through multiyear deals, the trio could cost $35MM next year.  If payroll is cautiously trimmed to say, $100MM for 2012, the Dodgers will have less than $20MM to work with to fill all kinds of holes.

Extensions for potential award winners Kershaw and Kemp should be Colletti's primary focus.  We've seen top pitchers extended for about $30MM, but Kershaw might need $35MM just for his three arbitration years, and that might be a discount over going year-to-year.  I think we'd be entering the $100MM range for a six year deal, which is incredible given that three of those would be arbitration years.  Kemp's 2011 season could be under $15MM in a multiyear deal, but each season thereafter should cost at least $20MM.  There's no harm in Colletti laying groundwork now for either player, but ideally a prospective new owner would have final say in March.  Kemp does not want to negotiate once his potential contract year begins.    

A non-tender decision is due on Loney on December 12th, and one more season at around $6.5MM is the right move for the Dodgers.  If they somehow later sign Pujols or Fielder, they could probably move Loney's contract before the season begins.  Uribe is penciled in at third base and Dee Gordon at shortstop, leaving an opening at second.  An offensive-minded player like Kelly Johnson could be a good fit over internal options Justin Sellers and Ivan DeJesus.  Jerry Sands merits an extended look in left field, while Tim Federowicz and A.J. Ellis will probably sit behind the dish.  Gwynn and Rivera could return as bench players.

The Dodgers' rotation could be a strength again, especially if Kuroda is re-signed.  It'd be difficult to replace Kuroda without overpaying someone else on a multiyear deal, though Colletti could look to other starters coming over from Japan.  Nathan Eovaldi would be the fifth starter.  Colletti likes his bullpen, but he'll look to add a veteran reliever.  

Kelly Johnson alone wouldn't fix the Dodgers' offense, though decent seasons from Ethier, Uribe, and Sands would help.  Hopefully, the Dodgers' ownership situation becomes resolved by July.  If the team is in contention at that point, Colletti can explore the trade market.  The Dodgers' 2011-12 offseason will be overshadowed by the Frank McCourt drama, perhaps for the last time.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Los Angeles Dodgers Offseason Outlook

Ben Cherington Press Conference Quotes
Main
Latest On Orioles’ GM Search: Watson, LaCava
View Comments (1)
Post a Comment

1 Comment

  1. Brendan Ransom

    14 years ago

    He’s not as bad as he was last season.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Please login to leave a reply.

Log in Register

    Top Stories

    Brewers Have Interest In Ryan O’Hearn

    Brewers Acquire Danny Jansen

    Ryne Sandberg Passes Away

    4 More Days To Lock In Savings On Trade Rumors Front Office

    Dodgers To Promote Alex Freeland

    Rays To Acquire Nick Fortes From Marlins

    Nationals’ Travis Sykora To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

    Tigers Acquire Chris Paddack

    Kris Bubic To Miss Remainder Of 2025 Season With Rotator Cuff Strain

    Tigers To Place Reese Olson On 60-Day IL With Shoulder Strain

    Cubs, Jed Hoyer Agree To Multi-Year Extension

    Royals Sign Seth Lugo To Extension

    Emmanuel Clase Placed On Administrative Leave Amid MLB’s Sports-Betting Investigation

    Braves Acquire Erick Fedde, Place Grant Holmes On 60-Day IL

    Yankees Place Aaron Judge On Injured List With Flexor Strain

    Top 50 Trade Candidates For The 2025 Deadline

    Yankees Acquire Amed Rosario

    Royals Acquire Randal Grichuk

    Aaron Judge Undergoing Testing For “Elbow Issue”

    Yankees Acquire Ryan McMahon

    Recent

    Brewers Have Interest In Ryan O’Hearn

    Brewers Designate Eric Haase For Assignment

    Brewers Acquire Danny Jansen

    X-rays Negative For Eugenio Suarez After HBP

    Mets, Yankees Have Shown Interest In Harrison Bader

    Ryne Sandberg Passes Away

    6 Former Prospects Who Now Look Like Change-Of-Scenery Candidates

    4 More Days To Lock In Savings On Trade Rumors Front Office

    Twins To Select Pierson Ohl

    Sonny Gray Unlikely To Waive No-Trade Clause Prior To Deadline

    MLBTR Newsletter - Hot stove highlights in your inbox, five days a week

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • Eugenio Suarez Rumors
    • Sandy Alcantara Rumors
    • Luis Robert Rumors
    • Ryan O’Hearn Rumors
    • Mitch Keller Rumors
    • David Bednar Rumors
    • Marcell Ozuna Rumors
    • Merrill Kelly Rumors
    • Zac Gallen Rumors
    • Seth Lugo Rumors
    • Ryan Helsley Rumors
    Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android App Store Google Play

    MLBTR Features

    MLBTR Features

    • Remove Ads, Support Our Writers
    • Front Office Originals
    • Front Office Fantasy Baseball
    • MLBTR Podcast
    • Trade Deadline Outlook Series
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • MLBTR On Twitter
    • MLBTR On Facebook
    • Team Facebook Pages
    • How To Set Up Notifications For Breaking News
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors

    Rumors By Team

    • Angels Rumors
    • Astros Rumors
    • Athletics Rumors
    • Blue Jays Rumors
    • Braves Rumors
    • Brewers Rumors
    • Cardinals Rumors
    • Cubs Rumors
    • Diamondbacks Rumors
    • Dodgers Rumors
    • Giants Rumors
    • Guardians Rumors
    • Mariners Rumors
    • Marlins Rumors
    • Mets Rumors
    • Nationals Rumors
    • Orioles Rumors
    • Padres Rumors
    • Phillies Rumors
    • Pirates Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Rays Rumors
    • Red Sox Rumors
    • Reds Rumors
    • Rockies Rumors
    • Royals Rumors
    • Tigers Rumors
    • Twins Rumors
    • White Sox Rumors
    • Yankees Rumors

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives
    • RSS/Twitter Feeds By Team

    MLBTR INFO

    • Advertise
    • About
    • Commenting Policy
    • Privacy Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

    Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

    hide arrows scroll to top

    Register

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version