Third baseman Anthony Rendon is no longer a free agent, having agreed to join the Angels on Wednesday for seven years and $245MM. The Dodgers were thought to be in the mix for Rendon’s services, but it turns out that they never even made the superstar an offer, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reports. The club’s “sense” was that Rendon did not want to play in Los Angeles, according to Castillo.
With Rendon now off the market, the big-budget Dodgers officially went 0-for-3 on this winter’s premier free agents. They lost out on Gerrit Cole (Yankees) despite making an eight-year, $300MM offer and didn’t prevent Stephen Strasburg from re-signing with the Nationals. However, that doesn’t mean the perennial powerhouse Dodgers won’t make some kind of splash this winter.
President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman revealed before the Cole and Rendon agreements that the Dodgers had about a dozen elite-level potential acquisitions on their list. “Elite” is in the eye of the beholder, but LA has recently been connected to notables such as Francisco Lindor, Josh Donaldson, Madison Bumgarner and longtime Dodger Hyun-Jin Ryu in the rumor mill. With the exception of Lindor, who’s still under Cleveland’s control for another couple years, all of those players remain available in free agency.
Another example of Boras using the Dodgers as his pawn, like he always does.
Money talks, Dodgers walk!
You got that right!
Very very sad but true.
Giants too. Surprised bcraw wasn’t playing a huge role in recruiting the 350M dollar man
Giants were never rumored to sign Rendon.
Would assume he’s talking about Cole, since that’s his brother in law
And like he always should do if he can
Who cares
Sue Ellen!
If the media is buying what Friedman is telling them as gospel then they have not been paying attention. Friedman is nothing more than huckster. He will tell you what you want to hear and then laugh it off when you buy into the lies.
Something about him bothers me when I see him on tv, and I have no horse in that race.
Probably because he talks like a middle manager at Hewlett-Packard. He exhibits zero passion for the game of baseball, which if you think about it just a little, explains a lot.
Andy and Stan flat out LIE!!! Screw them!
I don’t know that they lie. They’ve both expressed barely concealed contempt for the fans. In a way they are brutally honest about how little we matter except as a source of revenue.
As usual
But your open contempt for the Dodgers is okay? Hypocrite.
If you want to insult everyone who doesn’t like what’s been happening lately then you have a lot of work ahead of you. Dozens of people who are expressing their unhappiness in far blunter terms than I have just in this discussion alone are in need of being insulted. Better get started.
BTW, hypocrisy is a word in the dictionary. You might look it up before you use it.
You assume Friedman has told them anything.
Yep
Dodgers are waiting on Bryant availability. Grievance win for Cubs will make KB available.
Probably a better shot with lindor no?
I agree, our (very valuable) package of Lux and May would get a Lindor, faster than it would get a bryant, in my opinion
Lindor brings them defense too, unlike Bryant
That’s because Friedman didn’t want to insult him with his offer of 5 years/100 million with 90 million of it deferred.
I don’t believe Fraudman for a minute. Bullshit artist
“Fraudman???” And why??? because he’s failed to put a winning team together since arriving?? Get out of here with that crap. And don’t start with the World Series…that’s on the players and Roberts.
Not hard to put a winning team together when you handed $200 million to spend every year.
That is why the dodgers will never win anything as long as Friedman is running show.more money than anybody and he refuses to spend it. Teams are getting better and we are worse off
So here’s the problem: The Dodgers have a ton of youth and top-tier prospects and they’d rather talk trades with them and acquire Lindor (a stud, but a lefty bat at a position LA is okay at with Seager) instead of just sign a guy and not cost prospects like May or Lux. On top of that, if they acquire Lindor they will still have to pay him. If they acquired Rendon, they move Turner to 1B, Muncy to 2B and have the option to hold onto Seager or trade him for a pitcher and open a spot for Lux. I just don’t understand this front office at all.
No one does. Friedman wants to compete for a world series but doesn’t want to sign any big time free agents or trade any top prospects. It’s been obvious since day one that he doesn’t know how to run a big market team.
Obvious since you had made it no less than than the playoffs each year. It’s clear you are here to hate with no facts and I am not even a dodger fan. Cardinals fan
No open your eyes dude.
He has proven he can make the playoffs on a regular basis but he has not shown he can build a team to win the world championship in the post season and that is what it is all about.
You can make that case for the free agents but when it comes to prospects he has 100 percent earned the right to hold onto who he wants to. They are batting 1000 with the big name prospects they kept.
Really a 1000? Ever hear of Yordan Alvarez?
You got him on that one. They got a low level relief pitcher for Alvarez, Fields. Maybe the worst trade in the last 10 years and nobody ever says a word about it. Fraudman has no clue. His last additions Kelly and Pollock were horrible additions. Keeps guys like Kiki Taylor and Pederson who’s games are deteriorating every year. LA will end up with another Pollock in Donaldson. Just moronic stuff out of LA.
Alvarez was not a big name at the time captian hindsight. Top 100 prospects under Friedman who he kept: Seager, Urias, Bellinger, Verdugo, Buehler. All successful at the big league level. And the ones he traded: Calhoun, De Leon and Diaz are all underwhelming. He has absolutely earned the right to do what he wants with prospects
Dodgers dont spend money !!! Fans need to protest and stop going to games !!
My season ticket prices been going up consistently last 5 years under friendman but they continue to spend less each season
That’s marketing dude. You’re not even angry with the right department..
bigrob – The Dodgers have been in the top 4 for highest team payrolls since 2012. From 2013 through 2017, the Dodgers had the highest payroll in baseball, which includes 2015 when their payroll topped $300m. They spend money. (spotrac.com)
106 wins indicates he’s doing something right.
No doubt. I’m not a Dodger fan, but look at his track record.
You have two teams in California that have won the ‘offseason’ multiple times over the years. The Angels have won the ‘offseason’ with the likes of Pujols, Hamilton, Ohtani, and now made a huge pick-up with Rendon. You also have the Padres who have been picking up big name free agents for the past few years.
Then you have the Dodgers and A’s who have generally shied away from the mega star free agents.
Look at the records of all and tell me which strategy pays off. One strategy wins the offseason the other strategy wins the regular season. It sucks missing out on the fun in Dec, Jan, Feb as it’s fun to dream about all these players joining whatever team you root for. But I’d much rather be rooting and cheering for my team in Sept and October every year.
Couldn’t have said it better!
The Angels still suck. So they won one ws in 2002. They hardly ever get to the playoffs. Please don’t compare the Angels to the Dodgers. Even with Disney footing the bill they haven’t been post since 2014 early exit.
Very well put!
It indicates he can win division titles and get to the post season so what?
106 wins means nothing when you get bounced from the playoffs early like they did. So what does 106 wins mean? Nothing.
Couldn’t have said it better myself
I agree
May or Lux are definitely gone in a trade for arenado or lindor avoid the $ in free agency but prepared to give up elite prospects in a trade
Lindor is a switch hitter. Lindor is way better than Seager. Seager doesn’t have as much trade appeal as you may think; especially for an ace or a #2.
Oh yea Seager doesn’t have much value as a two time all star and in his mid 20’s at that. He’s still a top 5 short stop even if last season was a down season bc of injuries. If we add lindor I’d rather keep Seager and lux.
Seager showed just who he is in the playoffs. Choke artist! Be prepared to see the same every time they make it to games that are under the bright lights.
Lindor is a switch hitter…
Josh Donaldson makes more sense. 3 year $80M if they can swing a trade for Lindor and Kluber would be great then possibly trade Seager for Hader
Aren’t the Dodgers usually worse against lefties, and lacking righty bats?
This is really well said. For all the hype about Dodgers being in on some big free agents, it seems as though they’re missing out too often, especially with their financial capability. It makes me wonder if they were truly in on Cole, but, it also doesn’t matter at this point.
It has been reported that the Dodgers offered Cole 8 yrs/300 mil
Lindor is a switch hitter, and a damn good one too. I can certainly understand the hesitance in dealing top prospects. I wouldn’t blame the Dodgers for keeping any/all of them as opposed to trading them away. On the other hand, we’re not talking about a marginal player when mentioning Lindor. He is the best SS in the game. He has 2 yrs of control remaining at a very low rate when compared to premium players like Rendon, Cole, and Strahsburg. As an Indians fan, I have no clue what the Dodgers will ultimately decide. I only know that if the Indians agree to send Lindor to another team that it better be for a haul. Everything points to that being true as he hasn’t been dealt yet when it’s clear that there is a great amount of interest.
@ Dusty Baker;
Here’s what you’re missing about Lindor…….
He’s a true 5 tool player as well as a switch-hitter (if you call him a lefty, then you obviously haven’t seen him play). A gold glove defender and base stealer.
He radically pushes the outcome in every game he plays. I would place him as the 2nd strongest impact position player in the AL – behind Trout and ahead of Betts. If he was playing for a large market team he would be recognized as a real superstar, not the made up ones that the sports media labels All-Stars. (I remember when the Red Sox signed Manny, and that day Peter Gammons suddenly wrote that he was “the best RH hitter in the AL”…..which he had been for 3 years. If he gets to the Dodgers, he will become well known nationally. He is not Segar, not Manny Machado. Giving up a couple of top prospects that have not yet produced in MLB for him should be a no-brainer. And I have no doubt the Dodgers will either negotiate with him on an extension before any trade, or feel that they can sign him to an extension once they get him. He will have the same effect on that team as Cody Bellinger, and they both could be anchoring the Dodgers for the next 10 years.
If he stays healthy this is a truly generational talent that can wind up in the HOF.
Lindor is a switch hitter.
Couldn’t have said it better myself
Dodgers waiting on Bryant situation to clear up. KB will be the target.
The problem is Kris Bryant is less valuable than Rendon, will cost a boat load of prospects, and a Kris Bryant extension costs the same as Rendon’s contract.
Bryant is not as valuable as Rendon so it would not cost as much at least as far as AAV
Not happening anytime soon. It’s going to take months. These things drag out
Bryant to Dodgers?
It would take May and Lux for Cubs to give up Bryant. Same thing for Lindor. You’d be better off with Lindor.
They don’t need a 3rd baseman. They don’t need offense. They need pitching.
they need to trade Kershaw for someone that can pitch in the postseason
The Dodgers only need is at Manager, and they already blew that. The entire Dodger roster is stacked. No moves needed.
Who hired the manager and gave him a contract extension?
They better have some kind of move coming. If not all the stuff the fans say about this being a hedge fund team is true.
Carpet Bagger Hedge Fund
Did the Angels bid against themselves?
No, I don’t think so. The Nats offered him something in the range of 210m last year that he turned down, and you have to believe any team that showed interest in him this off-season knew they would have to go over that 210m to be taken seriously.
Rangers offered him 6/200 and he had 2 other bids.
Friedman didn’t make an offer because he didn’t think Rendon wanted to play in LA?
And Rendon signs with…?
The Los Angeles Angels?
This is the cold hard truth: The Dodgers aren’t in the business of trying to win a world series. They’re just trying to field a decent team that is profitable for their shareholders.
They’ll win the division–because it’s a weak division–and get bounced out of the playoffs in round one.
Angels play in Anaheim/OC, not Los Angeles. 2 different cities. Los Angeles is more dense with more minorities. A lot of people prefer living in Anaheim because it’s quieter than Los Angeles. Just look at the Dodgers/Angels fan bases – 2 different sets of fans
Told my homies – Rendon is going to post up in Newport Coast with his title and cash and just lose every year with the Angels and no one will care. Mark Kewl’s word.
Well Fred, you really think Rendon was checking demographics to make his decision? Have you ever been to Washington DC? He went for the money. Period. The Angels were bidding against themselves and lost. Do you think Boras told them they were the only bidders left.
I’m surprised that he didn’t sign with a contender, One ring must be enough. Until the Angels get some pitching they won’t compete.
“A lot of people prefer living in Anaheim because it’s quieter than Los Angeles”
Been to central and north OC cities lately? This statement may apply to south OC. Heck, even Irvine is getting a little dense with all those apartments going up. Definitely nothing quiet in Anaheim. Specially when that development around Angel Stadium gets done.
Right, , theres more traffic in Oc than La these days and its only getting worse every year….At least La has multiple freeways designed .. Anaheim is a pure slum-hole so hes obv living nowhere near there.. Im assuming you dont the areas at all Fred –
If anything he will live on Kings road Newport overlooking Lido Isle in a 25 mil house 20 minutes away. Not Anaheim.
The difference? The Angels play 19 games a year in Texas (Rendon’s home state), while the Dodgers won’t return there until a handful of games in 2021.. It wasn’t Orange County vs. Los Angeles.
Then why didn’t he sign with the Rangers? They play lots of games in Texas,
Rangers suck
The goal is to keep the suckers thinking they are trying to win. Keep milking the cow and distract them with bobble heads.
Dodgers always talk big free agents but don’t actually get
How did that work out for them when they used to go big on free agents?
Jung Allard LeClerc DeShields Odor and Heineman for Blackmon and Arenado. Rangers Take on a ton of money and Rockies get a few solid players/prospects (LeClerc Jung Allard and Heineman)
The Dodgers are masters of publicity. Boras gets to use them, but the Dodgers also get to keep their name in the news constantly. It’s free advertisement. Perhaps advertisement that frustrates us fans, but then they do just enough to keep us coming back. If they can bring in Lindor (w/an extension agreed to) for Lux and May, I’d be all for it. Kris Bryant seems like a greater risk due to a couple health details he’s dealt with. Betts would be a nice alternative to Lindor. Perhaps a trimmed down package for Betts since he only has a year of control remaining. Lux and Gonsolin maybe? deGrom has long been a target I felt the Dodgers and Mets could agree to a deal on. Send the Mets Lux, Stripling and KRuiz for deGrom and Edwin Diaz.
Some of this is likely pie in the sky thinking. It’s fun to dream. Hopefully what I’ve put out there is reasonable and/or falls in line with what seems to be rumored. I trust Friedman to keep a long term eye on things that will keep the Dodgers relevant for years to follow. Not sure I believe he can get a deal done that puts us over the top right now, but maybe him and his staff can prove me wrong with their next move for an “elite” talent. Time to stop fooling around, Dodgers brass….make THE move!
as a Royals fan I’d hate to part with Witt but it makes perfect sense. he could help carry the Dodgers to the series and LA has the prospects to acquire him.
Smart of Dodgers to avoid Rendon. Better to sign or maybe trade for a pitcher. Kluber and Lindor could be nice.
Not only that, but I read a lot of good stuff about Gavin Lux coming up. It seems that would create infield logjam, no? To my understanding the kid can play and will likely be in the show this year. So, why pay for Rendon going into his early 30s when you have Lux?
So the Dodgers thought Rendon didn’t want to play in LA, yet he signs with the ‘Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim” a.k.a. LA’s sister city. Too funny. Yet another example of Friedman blowing smoke about signing big time free agents (remember the Harper & Machado rumors from last year). You can’t knock the results that Friedman has had in LA. They have a great team and a great farm system…but I don’t understand why they need to perpetuate these rumors each year about signing the top free agents. Just shut up and stick to the plan that has gotten you where you are today. Fix the bullpen, add a catcher and you have as good of chance as anyone to win it all in 2020.
Anaheim, where the Angels play, is completely different from Los Angeles. Just like how Oakland is different from San Francisco, despite only being miles apart
You really believe that he refused to play in LA but was okay in Orange County? Come on now. It’s just spin by the Dodgers.
You are right. Anaheim is a really nice place and Chavez Ravine is a pit.
OC is much better than LA. Traffic is better everything is easier to get to. just about everything.
The Dodgers never said that. Some reporter with anonymous sources said it. Fake news.
Think the only “fake news” on here is anything you post.
it probably is though given its about mostly money 99% of the time with big money free agents.
They’re just the LA Angels these days
well there ya go…but who cares as nobody in actually watching the Dodgers games, right?
Yeah no one’s watching the team who keeps setting the top attendance mark in the game every year.
ask some people on this site and theyll tell you no one watches any of the teams.
The dodgers are owned by an investment group. The ultimate goal of ownership is return on their investment. They talk talk talk but will not pull the trigger on the big deal to make themselves World Series favorites. They have no motivation to do so. They should win their division again as is and their making a boat load of money.
Most true statement on here. They want to be good and really don’t strive to be WS winners unless it evolves randomly just because their good team gets all the baseball gods breaks. They have a good PR Manager who is pathetic with decision making and have a good farm system. Just enough to be good but not great.
It’s not 0 for 3, it’s 3 for 3, go Dodgers. Made the right decisions…
Who knows if Friedman really thought / said that. Reporters make stuff up all the time. Just look at CNN as an example.
Anyone who was paying attention knew the Dodgers are not signing any major FAs because they are on a strict budget. Friedman has to stay under the Luxury tax. He has said a million times they will stay under the tax and develop their own players. I predicted they will sign a couple reclamation projects for the bullpen and maybe Rich Hill. That will be it.
I would point to Fox News as the biggest example of “news” organizations which make stuff up and then believe it. Other than that, I agree with most of what you have written.
I don’t care. I don’t watch either.
You just make up stuff on your own. No help needed to make it up. If you don’t watch CNN, how would you know if they made stuff up?
The Dodgers ran into buzz saws with the Astros and Red Sox to lose 2 WS. They’ve won the division, I believe, 7 years in a row. They’ve had some postseason issues but giving 300 large to any of the free agents is crazy. They’re still ultra talented and will be in the playoffs again in 2020. I think they need to shore up the bullpen but they have the position talent to win it all and many of the players are young and under team control. $245M for anyone is ridiculous. Dodgers are fine and have a good chance to win the WS soon. They have an obnoxious amount of young talent, why give them up? They haven’t won a WS in 30+ years but I’d love for my team to perpetually be in the hunt for close to a decade. For the record, I despise the Dodgers, Giants fan here but they are the class of the NL and have been for a while. Rendon is a stud but not a $245M stud. Dodgers still the NL favorite to represent the NL in the WS next year. Save it Atlanta and Philadelphia, LA still the big boys, by a long shot.
The Dodgers signed the one player the front office really wanted, Blake Treinen. Friedman will try to re-sign Ryu and probably Hill. He might try to trade Pederson, but maybe not. Since I don’t expect he will part with either Lux or May, Lindor is not coming. If Colorado would even entertain trading Arenado to a division rival, perhaps Friedman might try that, but maybe not. Stan Kasten has ordered the publicity department to keep talking about 1988. He has ordered Friedman to have enough talent to win the division. Then, make sure to have a big celebratory party when the division is won, so the fans think something really special has happened, then it’s the playoffs. Maybe this year will be the year the Dodgers win the World Series, but maybe not. As long as we fans keep paying to support a team willing to be just good enough, it is wrong for us to expect any more than that.
I saw Kasten interviewed on MLB channel. He is a greasy huckster with the fakest teeth I have ever seen. He should be a Bond villain.
Thanks for the good laugh. We need more comedians like you on this board.
The season ticket holders need to smarted up and stop going to the games to eat sushi. The current front office is laughing all the way to the bank. They think season ticket holders are dumb enough to be happy with just being competitive, and by their continuing to spend the money on season tickets, the front office has been proven correct in that assessment. Smarten up, season ticket holders! Boycott their butts!
The payment for season tickets used to be due in December. A year ago they moved the deadline to September. This year is was in August. So maybe the Dodgers know something we don’t? They also raised the prices by over 50% in that time. So yeah maybe we need to stop paying but all I can say is they won’t be pulling any fast ones on me this year.
Friedman’s sense was off because Rendon signed in Los Angeles. Just with three Angels, not the Dodgers.
My goodness what a blow and then to hear this news on top of it? Not even an offer? Insulting
These guys are hacks built off the backs of our scouting dept long before they were ever around, but most will only see the 5 div titles and give the FO a pass –
Disgusted, we dine at the Dennys (Kaz MaCarthy) and then over-tip the waitress (Pollock/Kelley) just because we got out of the steak dinner with our smug grins (Rendon)-
Now Machado was gonna be our guy, but he blew it in those 3.5 months with us and in turn blew a good chunk of change for himself, we woulda payed him more but im glad we didnt but Rendon was our 2nd Better chance and we should have nailed it
I was sore enough as Rendon was a lay up just throw the money at him (we still wouldnt have to go over Lux tax this year or future) then this piece hits…ouch!
if they didnt offer then evidently they werent interested. they have no room in the infield right now anyway. they would wisely reinvest their assets somewhere else.
Dodger’s front office is a clown show.
I respect the Dodgers passing on Rendon and keeping May, Gonsolin and Lux. It shows that we are NOT in desperation mode. This is all just media hype to keep the fans reading and talking. The key is, unlike the Yankees, we don’t need to go out and buy a WS team by selling the farm. We just develop our farm.
Remember a guy named Bryce Harper? How everyone thought the Dodgers lost out big by not signing him last year!? Biggest bust deal ever. Nats finally win series without him. He sucks and now Philly stuck with him.
The Dodgers are waiting for leftovers. Donaldson will end up there with his 250 average and 37 home runs from that cracker box in Atlanta. Another Pollock.
Why should the Dodgers spend $250 Million on a position player when they don’t really need one. A Donaldson or Bryant would do just as well for a lot less (assuming they went after either one) and giving up a Lux or a May who have years of team control when any new position player won’t bring a WS guarantee. They could use another good reliever. Some here think LA’s FO is “a joke” but I can think of fans to about 28 other clubs who wish they were as funny.
They technically don’t need him, they got Turner.
The Dodgers need a SP, but that offense is fine as-is. They can wait til the All-Star Break to see what their needs are going forward. There is no need for desperation right now.
Friedman will always finish 1st in farm system. 1st in signing 3rd tier pitchers. 1st in over valuing his prospects. 1st in trading said prospects after it is too late. 1st in not winning a World Series because of the above.
Perhaps it has escaped you but 28 other clubs didn’t win the WS either. Sure they crumbled in the 5 game division series but no other FO has a strategy that’s any more successful of getting to the playoffs each year. The Dodgers could use another bonafide ‘bat’ that keeps hitting in the fall,l but LA scores runs as well as any team does without a DH (which I hope they never have.
Maybe the Angles will make the playoffs… The Angels need to get some more pitching.
Yes they do but their offense was in the bottom half of the majors so Rendon isn’t a waste, especially as Calhoun won’t be back. Maybe Ohtani will finally pitch. I sure with the othe Los Angeles team- the real one – had signed him. The kid can hit.