Japanese pitcher Kenta Maeda has traveled to Los Angeles to start meeting with teams, according to Bill Plunkett of the OC Register (on Twitter). The Dodgers, he adds, are expected to be among the clubs that place a bid in order to negotiate with the right-hander.
If the Dodgers are serious about making a run at the Hiroshima Carp star, they might find that the market for him isn’t as competitive as it might have been a few weeks ago. We learned last week that the Red Sox will not submit a bid to negotiate with Maeda thanks to the mammoth deal given to David Price. At the Winter Meetings, Giants GM Bobby Evans told MLBTR that his club had internal conversations about Maeda, but they’re almost certainly out on him after adding Jeff Samardzija and Johnny Cueto.
Here’s more out of L.A.:
- Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman told reporters, including Shaikin (Twitter link) that he didn’t land Todd Frazier himself because he wanted Justin Turner to remain at third base. Acquiring Frazier and putting him elsewhere on the diamond would have been “messy,” in Friedman’s estimation. Frazier, of course, went to the White Sox in Wednesday’s three-way deal involving the Reds and Dodgers.
- Friedman says that the Dodgers like the newly-acquired Frankie Montas as a starting pitcher and, if not, they see him as an “impact bullpen arm,” Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times tweets. Many scouts see Montas as a power reliever. Friedman says that his scouts believe that Montas has one of the best fastball/slider combos in the minors, Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times tweets.
- Friedman said he knows some teams are interested in the players he acquired today, but he cautioned that one trade is not necessarily precursor to another, Shaikin tweets. Still, when asked if he’s now more comfortable with the idea of parting with elite pitching prospects, Friedman answered in the affirmative (link).
- In an interview on KLAC, Friedman did acknowledge that the trade improves the team’s “trade capital to match up with other teams,” according to Bill Plunkett of the OC Register (on Twitter).
Dodgers need to go after someone like Kyle losche idk how to speed it but they need a good back of the rotation guy like him maybe they get a trade involving Jose Fernandez and sign Henderson Alvarez
They need a better bullpen so maybe go after a good back of the pen guy
I don’t mean to sound mean but that would be a dumb trade. He’s 37 coming off a 5 era. That’s what the dodgers are trying to get rid of. They already have back of the rotation guys. That’s not the problem. Their problem like you said is the bp which only one spot. They either need a #2 guy or a healthy Ryu ( who is def a #2 if he can come back to his old self). I like the Maeda idea as insurance. In the end wood and Anderson can both be both at the trade deadline if all works like it should. Alvarez would be nice grated they sign him to a two year. But don’t expect him to throw this year.
Yeah
cant tell if your trolling with the whole Kyle LOHSE thing but we have enough back end of the rotation guys we need a solid #2 behind kershaw and some relief help
Seager and Holmes for touki rio Ruiz folty and vizciano
what planet u live on?
Klaatu Barada Nickto
Best reply ever.
Seager would never leave the Dodgers need a shortstop especially giving away Jose Pereza
Definitely wouldn’t call it giving away peraza
My friend, I am embarrassed by this because I’m a Braves fan. Your package for Seager wouldn’t even keep Friedman on the phone.
Touki. While he is a real talent with a huge possible ceiling, he is also way to undeveloped and about 3 years away
Folty. While his upside and talent has incredible potential, he is really risky.
Ruiz. Right now, he’s struggling and his value as a trade chip is down from when the Braves acquired him.
Allow me to give you an idea of what kind of package you would have to put together which probably still wouldn’t get you Seager/Holmes but you at least wouldn’t get laughed at.
The package would have to include Swanson and Newcomb. Also, include Teheran because they need a pitcher that is MLB ready. Then maybe you include someone like Touki or Allard.
In short, neither team would do this trade. The Dodgers would require and insane return in prospects because Seager is an important part of their team for 2016 and the future. The Braves won’t do it because they have worked very hard to build a pipe line that will build the team in a couple years and many years from now. Going after Seager alone would be an insane cost and damage that effort
Not only wouldn’t keep him on the phone he would probably block his calls
This might be why Jose Fernandez hasn’t been traded, yet; Loria and Michael Hill’s phone numbers have all been blocked.
Finally someone with common sense.
its funny, improved their trade capitol, meaning no one wanted peraza as a center or main secondary piece.
he was the main piece in the chapman deal..
that was also the reds, meaning they are the only team that want him….
Considering that most of the big market teams are tapped out right now. I think it’d be in the best interest of the Dodgers to just try to wait things out for the free agents. There probably isn’t a team out there with the money to sign some of the guys out there right now and the prices may drop to the point where some of the guys could be bargains.
Seeing as we’re now down to second-tier talent, at least in terms of starting pitching, it should be bargain-hunting time.
Friedman still has a lot of time to turn things around that’s for sure.
I would say not a lot of time, considering the number of deficiencies yet to be addressed, the hole he dug for himself, and the rate at which the best goods are flying off the shelves.
Yes the better goods maybe coming off the shelves first but, don’t you think that there aren’t many teams with teams with payroll flex abilities any more?
Diamondbacks / Redsoxs / Giants / Rangers clearly can’t spend.
Angels / Yankees / Tigers have said they won’t spend.
Orioles could be out there as well but they’re just busy with Davis.
Seems like the Dodgers / Nationals / Cardinals are the only ones left.
Cardinals have said that the players that they were willing to spend on, have signed elsewhere, so there is nothing left that interests them.
Maybe, but the question is still who remains to buy. Their only rotation move (Iwakuma) looks like it might be in jeopardy, and if that signing falls through, they’ve left themselves with no appealing FA options.
Gallardo / Kazmir / Leake / Chen
There’s still some out there that could be possible bargains.
Trade the farm for Sonny Gray!
Go and get us Kenta Maeda now!!!
Any thoughts of them trading some prospects for a #2 starter?
Maybe Garrit Cole, Sonny Gray, Chris Archer, Chris Sale?? And if they could somehow send Crawford with that package, that would be in a perfect world & I am dreaming here…
Also wondering why they picked up Iwakuma & not Yovani Gallardo?? Maybe they should still add Gallardo as well.
you wouldnt want Todd Frazier because you have Justin Turner? i like Turner, but come on- unless you are counting on a Puig comeback, you dont have a right handed bat with any power in the lineup.
First, Dodgers needs are not at 3b so why trade a package of prospects for a guy whose stats away from Cinn: .233/.285/.448; second half of 2015 was .220/.274/.390?
Fernandez is the HR for the Dodgers and they are the only club with the right pieces to land him. Without a doubt, he would make LA the favorite to win it all. The Marlins need a bunch of prospects, and the deal will happen.. Urias, De Leon, Holmes,, Enrique Hernandez and Austin Barnes seems right to me.
Overvalue for a guy who has had TJ
Boston could have the pieces too. The only difference is that the Dodgers’ pieces are just getting into the Majors (Seager) or are in the Minors (de Leon and Urias). Boston’s pieces are all in the majors. I mean, if Boston offered Betts, Boegarts, Holt, E-Rod, Owens and probably another prospect or two, I’m sure the Marlins would be hard pressed to turn that down. Boston would never do that in a million years, but just saying.
Urias (2), De Leon (3), Holmes (5), Barnes (13). Why not throw in Seagar and Montas and make it a complete run?
Love to have Fernandez, but why would Marlins trade one of the best pitchers on the planet for 3 pitching prospects who have never thrown a pitch in MLB and 2 backups? Marlins are in position to compete now by adding another BP arm like Tyler Clippard and a starter like Mike Leake and/or Kenta Maeda. Dodgers are not going to get Fernandez, at least not before the trading deadline.
Problem is the Marlins have no sp other than Jose – certainly nothing but end of a rotation guys. They are not spending on Leake or Maeda either. They have to build a farm system that lacks even a B+ prospect. Kike is needed for a fourth OF and utility depth.
Hearing from multiple people that Iwakuma failed the physical. If this is true, welcome to the Dodgers Maeda.