The failure of the Dodgers $310MM roster leaves the club to deal with some tough decisions, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post. President Andrew Friedman and GM Farhan Zaidi focused on improving clubhouse chemistry in their first season at the helm. The reports are largely positive with manager Don Mattingly and pitcher Zack Greinke both commenting on the improved chemistry. However, Friedman and Zaidi didn’t add much of value at the trade deadline. Their principle additions – Alex Wood, Mat Latos, Luis Avilan, and Jim Johnson contributed almost nothing to the postseason roster.
Here’s more from Sherman on the Dodgers offseason:
- Mattingly has won three straight division titles, but he may be on the hot seat anyway. Friedman and Zaidi inherited Mattingly so their decision to stick with him could depend on their working relationship. By discarding Matt Kemp, Hanley Ramirez, and Brian Wilson from the roster, the Dodgers were left with a more cohesive roster. Mattingly deserves credit for managing the complicated outfield platoon and transition from Jimmy Rollins to Corey Seager. The Dodgers problems – namely a thin rotation and thinner bullpen – were hardly Mattingly’s fault. The roster construction simply fell short. However, Mattingly could still wind up as the scapegoat, especially if the front office has a better candidate in mind.
- As CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman first reported, Zack Greinke will opt out after the season. We’ve previously seen five years and $150MM as a high estimate for Greinke, but Sherman thinks the bidding could go beyond that threshold. However, Greinke isn’t the type to “chase the last dollar” if he doesn’t see a clubhouse fit. The Dodgers have plenty of questions in the rotation after Clayton Kershaw. It seems likely they’ll sign at least one of Greinke or fellow free agent ace David Price.
- Outfielder Yasiel Puig is the lone leftover problem child from the previous administration. The club could trade him after a disappointing season, but they would be selling low. Teams would still be interested due to an affordable three years and $19.5MM remaining on his contract. Other franchises are worried about his reputation, injury history, and thickening body. As Sherman puts it, a thicker Puig may experience further injury and lose explosiveness at the plate.
What were people expecting? Friedman/Zaidi to break the bank even more and acquire the most expensive players because LA is a big market. I’m sure Friedman/Zaidi plan was to keep the top prospects.
The team is retaining $85M this season.
Agree completely with Sherman’s take. Friedman and Zaidi get another opportunity to construct a better roster, but must improve their dreadful deadline deals. Hopefully they value Mattingly enough to give him more bullets.
Puig to Seattle for Carson Smith? M’s get their athletic outfielder and LA solidifies the bullpen.
That would be selling way too low on Puig
Yeah, undoubtedly. But I guess it depends how badly LA wants him out of there and or if they don’t think he’ll be able to stay healthy. We don’t have access to all the behind the scenes stuff. He’s easier to move than Crawford or Ethier if they shake things up
The Mariners would probably have to add at least one of Walker/Paxton along with Smith if they wanted Puig.
As good as Smith is, he’s still a no-closing reliever, and even with a down year, Puig is stil a star caliber player.
Oh yeah. Seattle give up their future close, who has 5y of control, along with either Walker, or Paxton. Both #2 starters at the least when they finish developing and one has 5y of control, other 4y for Puig, a problem child with LA that nobody knows how is going to act from 1 day to the next with 4y left.
I doubt Seattle blinks twice before hanging up the phone with the mention of either Paxton/Walker alone.
When they’re done developing? Paxton is 2 years older than Puig and Walker is as risky as pitching prospects come. Neither has shown to be anywhere near Puig’s level. Puig for either of those 2 would be a steal for the Mariners.
Seriously? Im sorry, but Puig has more value than Paxton or Walker. Puig is a proven 5 WAR star, neither Paxton nor Walker are proven. Relief pitchers with less than 3 years of experience hold little value due to their volatility nature.
The Dodgers would laugh off any serious offer of Puig for a reliever. They would probably want a cost controlled TOR pitcher (or someone with TOR upside), and rightfully so.
Go check on fangraphs 2015 top 50 trade value list. Puig is in the 30’s, neither Walker or Paxton are on it.
Depends how worried you are by Puig’s 2015. He is definitely less athletic than he was when he came over, and it could be the league has something on him.
Puig’s value is down a bit, but the Dodgers can still unquestionably ask for the moon for him. Puig’s contract has about 60mil of surplus value according to $/WAR.
They should be able to fetch one of Paxton/Walker + Smith.
Price is going to the Cubs, take it to the bank.
IMO, Greinke will not resign with the Dodgers unless he receives assurances that Puig will be moved before the start of the season.
And you know this, how exactly?
I think you have a different definition of “IMO (in my opinion)” than everyone else.
If an opinion is to be taken seriously it has to be backed up with some sort of reasoning. If that’s a different definition of an opinion than “everyone else” then so sad for “everyone else.”
An opinion is not something you would “know”
Or have any reason to post at all, apparently, and certainly not be questioned for its relevance or accuracy. Noted.
Yasiel Puig is one of the more overrated players in baseball. Matt Kemp only hit .269 27 HR and 92 RBI this year. Seattle would be making a huge mistake trading Paxton, Smith or Walker. They are 2 of the better young starting pitchers in baseball and one of the best relievers in the game. The front office should have unloaded Puig for Wheeler or Puig for Carrasco last year. I don’t know if any of you surplus WAR guys noticed where Yasiel Puig has been the last 2 years that the Dodgers have been eliminated. The bench. #overrated
Paxton will be 27 in a couple weeks. So using that as the qualifier for “young”, I’d guess there are 25-30 young pitchers any team would take over either Paxton or Walker.
Yes, he’s young. How many innings has he thrown? I don’t think he’s reached half his potential and the Mariners would be insane to trade him for Puig.
I believe Greinke was the one player who flat out admitted he signed with the Dodgers because they offered the most money, and that he would play anywhere—even for a last place team—if they paid him the most money. So yes, with Greinke, it is all about the money. He said so himself, with no sugarcoating, when he signed with the Dodgers. cbssports.com/mlb/writer/jon-heyman/21767425/hones…
As if it’s really any different with any other player. The Dodgers could once again make him the top offer at least in terms of AAV. The real question is whether some other team will give him more years.
Puig had a hamstring injury, plain and simple. If you’ve ever had one, you know how tricky they can be and how you can feel like you’ve recovered when it’s still injured and it just keeps getting hurt over and over again. With how young Puig is and how much he loves to play, I can almost assure you this is probably the first time he ever hurt it and he kept hurting it because it felt fine and wanted to get back out there.
I also find it strange how a claim of a “thickening body” somehow hurts Puig yet Mike Trout still looks like a linebacker, and he’s doing just fine. These ridiculous semi-insults about Puig are really getting old. Here’s hoping these writers will someday get off his back and let him have fun out there, its getting really boring to have to endure and hear about. Just shut up about him and let him do his thing.
Lastly, if the Dodgers are going to be stupid and trade him, I think Puig & Van Slyke for Jesse Chavez & Josh Reddick make sense for both teams.
Two hamstring injuries this season, both legs. The Dodgers were plagued by that injury this year. A training or conditioning issue? The news today is Stan Conte resigned, though nobody is saying why exactly. Easy to imagine he’s taking some of the blame. We can bank on Puig trade rumors popping up every 30 seconds or so but mainly because the media has to talk about something and Puig is always good copy.
How does Mattingly get credit for handling the Rollins-to-Seager transition? He religiously played Rollins, quite often at the top of the order, despite hitting historically bad, and only stuck with Seager when he literally had no other choice – Seager was absolutely crushing it. There was no added value from Mattingly at all.
All I can say is – super high leverage situation, pulled Kershaw with the bases loaded, and bought in..Pedro Baez. Not Kenley (because your best reliever is only there for saves, right?), not even Hatcher. Baez. Mattingly cannot continue to ride this narrative that he’s good for chemistry, at some stage, you have to stop making poor decisions on the field. It boggles the mind that Management would trust him with their 300 million dollar a year team.
You don’t put $39 special tires on your Ferrari.
The Dodgers are not a Ferrari, just have a price tag like one. That’s on the front office. Mattingly makes mistakes, like every other field boss, but there were nowhere near enough horses in he bullpen which made it a crapshoot every night unless Kershaw and Greinke threw a CG or the team had a big lead in the late innings.