Dodgers Rumors

Dodgers, Justin Turner Progressing Toward Four-Year Deal

By Steve Adams | December 12, 2016 at 3:10pm CDT

3:10pm: FOX’s Ken Rosenthal tweets that the deal will be for $64MM when it is ultimately completed.

12:06pm: Sherman reports that the two sides have been discussing a contract in the vicinity of $64MM in total, though there could be a higher guarantee and some deferrals as well (Twitter links). The Rebel Media’s Chris Camello first tweeted yesterday that the two sides were getting close to a deal in the four-year, $65MM range.

10:41am: Heyman tweets that the Dodgers currently have an offer on the table to Turner and are awaiting his decision. ESPN’s Jim Bowden tweets that both the Dodgers and Turner’s representatives at the Legacy Agency say there’s no agreement just yet, though both are hopeful.

10:24am: The Dodgers and Turner are progressing toward an agreement, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post (via Twitter). If an agreement is reached, it’ll “likely” be for four years, tweets FanRag’s Jon Heyman.

7:35am: The Dodgers are becoming more confident that they can re-sign third baseman Justin Turner, reports ESPN’s Buster Olney (Twitter links). The two sides have been in talks on a four-year contract recently, Olney adds.

Turner, who turned 32 three weeks ago, has been one of the Dodgers’ top offseason priorities. He’s fresh off a brilliant season that saw him bat .275/.339/.493 with 27 homers, 34 doubles and outstanding defense at the hot corner (+7 DRS, +14 UZR). That marked the third consecutive season of exceptional offensive production from Turner, who signed a minor league contract with Los Angeles in February 2014 after being non-tendered by the Mets and went on to break out in Chavez Ravine. In 386 games and 1383 plate appearances as a member of the Dodgers, Turner has slashed .296/.364/.492.

Bringing back the right-handed-hitting Turner would be a boost to a Dodgers team that ranked last in the Majors against left-handed pitching in 2016 in terms of on-base percentage, slugging percentage and wRC+. However, it should also be noted that Turner’s own uncharacteristic struggles against southpaws last year contributed heavily to L.A.’s woes against in that department. Turner hit .282/.359/.465 against left-handers in his first two seasons with the Dodgers but slumped to a .209/.303/.337 mark last year. His strikeout and walk rates against lefties remained encouraging, although he sported just a .230 average on balls in play against lefties, which obviously proved to be a significant detriment.

Jason Martinez of Roster Resource/MLBTR projects the Dodgers for a $204MM Opening Day payroll as it is, even without re-signing Turner, so adding him back into the mix would presumably push the team’s 2017 payroll north of $220MM (though the deal could of course be backloaded to some extent). That number would continue to rise if the team were to re-sign Kenley Jansen, another top target, or add an experienced arm to replace their closer in the event that Jansen signs elsewhere. The Dodgers will, at least, be free of their obligations to both Carl Crawford and Alex Guerrero next winter, which will result in about $28MM coming off their payroll. They’ll also be able to buy out Andre Ethier’s $17.5MM mutual option. The following offseason will see Adrian Gonzalez, Scott Kazmir, Brandon McCarthy and Hyun-jin Ryu come off the books, creating plenty of opportunity for the Dodgers to shed some significant payroll and luxury tax considerations in the next two years.

Dodgers Close To Deal With Kenley Jansen

By Steve Adams | December 12, 2016 at 12:17pm CDT

The Dodgers are close to a deal to bring back closer Kenley Jansen, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). It would seem that Monday has the makings of a big day for the Dodgers and their fans, as multiple reports today have indicated that the Dodgers are also progressing toward a four-year deal to re-sign Justin Turner. MLB Network’s Jon Morosi tweets that Jansen’s deal is expected to be a five-year pact.

Los Angeles entered the offseason with a number of free agents coming off the books, but the three priorities for the team were long said to be Jansen, Turner and Rich Hill. If both the Turner and Jansen deals are completed, the Dodgers will have succeeded in bringing back their three top free agents, though, clearly there’ll still be some work to be done over the remainder of the winter. Notably, the club could look for upgrades at second base, in the corner outfield and in the bullpen (even after bringing back Jansen).

The 29-year-old Jansen pitched to a scintillating 1.83 ERA with 13.6 K/9, 1.4 BB/9 and a 30 percent ground-ball rate in 68 2/3 innings with the Dodgers last season. That performance led his first All-Star selection, although the very fact that it was just the first of his career is somewhat remarkable. Jansen has been one of baseball’s very best relievers since the moment he debuted as a 22-year-old in 2010, logging a career 2.20 ERA with 13.9 K/9 against 2.6 BB/9 in 408 2/3 regular-season innings. He ranks fourth in strikeout percentage and third in total strikeouts among qualified relievers in that time, and only six relievers have mustered a better earned run average in that time frame.

In addition to the Dodgers, Jansen drew interest from the Yankees, Nationals and Marlins this winter, though the Yankees’ bid to land him likely ended when they inked Aroldis Chapman to a five-year, $86MM contract. While Miami’s emergence as a suitor for Jansen came as a surprise, their efforts to land a top closer appear to be legitimate; they reportedly offered Chapman $87MM over a five-year term, and Marlins skipper Don Mattingly has been said to be personally recruiting Jansen. Signing in Miami would’ve reunited Jansen with not only Mattingly but also former teammates Dee Gordon and A.J. Ellis (who agreed to a deal with Miami last week), but it appears that Jansen’s sights are set on remaining in Dodger blue.

It’ll be interesting to see if Jansen is able to top Chapman’s overall contract, which currently stands as the all-time record contract issued to a reliever. If he’s able to do so, he’ll join Chapman and Mark Melancon as the third reliever this year to set a new benchmark for largest contract ever, although there are other considerations at play as well. Notably, Chapman received an opt-out clause after the third year of his contract, and one would expect that Chapman’s representatives at Wasserman sought the same type of provision, which has become increasingly common throughout baseball contracts.

Dodgers Outright Charlie Culberson

By Jeff Todd | December 9, 2016 at 5:47pm CDT

The Dodgers have outrighted utilityman Charlie Culberson, as J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles News Group tweets. With the move, Los Angeles has one opening on its 40-man roster.

Culberson, 27, saw only 68 plate appearances last year with the Dodgers, hitting .299/.309/.388 with a single home run. But he made that dinger count: it was the blow that secured the NL West crown for the team. Culberson is capable of playing all over the diamond, and that versatility earned him a spot on the Dodgers’ NLDS roster in 2016.

Los Angeles had recently agreed to a $550K deal with Culberson, as Jon Heyman of Fan Rag tweeted. He would be entitled to reject the outright assignment, having previously been outrighted by the Rockies, though that would mean sacrificing the guarantee. Presumably, this turn of events was largely foreseen by both player and team at the time that the new contract was agreed to.

Marlins, Dodgers, Nationals Vying For Kenley Jansen

By charliewilmoth | December 8, 2016 at 12:40pm CDT

THURSDAY, 12:39pm: If the Marlins don’t land Jansen, they could turn to another free agent, Neftali Feliz, according to MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro (on Twitter). The 28-year-old Feliz is coming off a good year with the Pirates (3.52 ERA, 10.2 K/9, 3.5 BB/9) and has closing experience. He should also be considerably cheaper than Jansen.

7:50am: Rival executives don’t expect the Dodgers to match the Marlins’ offer, per Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link).

7:15am: The Nationals are now “making a push” for Jansen, reports FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal (Twitter links). However, the Nats are “uncomfortable” with the financial commitment it would take to land him, tweets Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post. The club has previously used deferrals as a way to help sign big-money players like Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg, but that’s unlikely to work this time, per Rosenthal.

WEDNESDAY: The Marlins have made an offer of five years and more than $80MM to free agent closer Kenley Jansen, Yahoo! Sports’ Jeff Passan tweets. The Marlins were reportedly the runners-up to acquire Aroldis Chapman, who agreed to a five-year, $86MM deal with the Yankees late tonight. Now, with Chapman off the table, it appears they’re trying to lure Jansen with a similarly huge offer. Barring an unforeseen turn of events, Jansen seems likely to pick the Marlins (where he’d be reunited with former manager Don Mattingly and teammates Dee Gordon and A.J. Ellis) or re-sign with the Dodgers.

Jansen doesn’t have Chapman’s spectacular velocity, but he’s a dominating reliever in his own right — he’s coming off a season in which he posted a 1.83 ERA, 13.6 K/9 and an incredibly low 1.4 BB/9 in 68 2/3 innings with the Dodgers. He’s had a much quieter career than Chapman has, but there’s no arguing his tremendous career numbers, including a 2.20 ERA, 13.9 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9.

Still, it’s somewhat surprising to hear that he’s received at least one contract offer similar to Chapman’s deal, which broke the previous record for a relief pitcher contract by $24MM. The recent offers he, Chapman and Mark Melancon have received have been stratospheric, reflecting a trend throughout the industry of increasing salaries for dominant relievers.

It’s also somewhat odd that the Marlins (who won just 79 games last season and recently lost former ace Jose Fernandez under tragic circumstances) are ready to make such an enormous investment in a closer, even a great one. Jansen, who rejected a qualifying offer from the Dodgers, would also cost the Marlins their top 2017 draft pick, No. 13 overall.

Free Agency Notes: Giants, Dodgers, Chapman, Wieters, Alvarez

By Connor Byrne | December 8, 2016 at 5:24am CDT

It appears that closer Mark Melancon will be the only major pickup the Giants make this offseason. The club has all but reached its payroll limit as a result of adding Melancon on a four-year, $62MM deal Monday, and it’s unlikely to make any significant dollar-for-dollar trades, general manager Bobby Evans told John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle. “I don’t think there’s anything more to ask of ownership,” Evans said. “It’s more what I can do with what we have.” The Giants logged opening-day payrolls upward of $172MM in the previous two seasons, and Jason Martinez of MLBTR and Roster Resource estimates they’ll start 2017 at $183MM-plus.

More free agency-related news:

The Dodgers made an attempt to sign closer Aroldis Chapman, but they didn’t come particularly close to succeeding, tweets FanRag’s Jon Heyman. It doesn’t seem as if Chapman was actually receptive to playing in Los Angeles, as the agreement he reached with the Yankees late Wednesday includes the ability to block trades to all West Coast teams.
Free agent catcher Matt Wieters might not sign until late in the offseason, in part because the market is slow for catchers, agent Scott Boras informed Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun on Wednesday. As he’s known to do, Boras talked up his client, saying, “Look, he threw out over 35 percent of his runners. When Matt Wieters is behind the plate, the Orioles are in the playoffs. He’s won Gold Gloves … and his ERA of the pitching staff is one run lower than when other catchers catch. I think Baltimore has a real commodity there. He’s performed at high levels there.” Wieters – who’s coming off a poor year from both offensive and pitch–framing standpoints – remains a possibility for the catcher-needy Orioles, according to both Boras and O’s general manager Dan Duquette. The 30-year-old Wieters has been a member of the Baltimore organization since it drafted him fifth overall in 2007.
Corner infielder/designated hitter Pedro Alvarez, another Baltimore free agent and Boras client, has drawn interest from “a number of teams,” the agent told Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com. Interestingly, in an effort to improve his earning power, Alvarez could try to market himself as a part-time outfielder. “Pedro is actually going to start playing the outfield, as well,” Boras said. “He’s obviously working at first base and we’re going to try and get his defensive acumen more in the field as his career goes forward.” The big-bodied Alvarez has struggled at first and third during his career (and played DH almost exclusively in 2016), so it’s difficult to imagine him faring well in the grass.

NL West Notes: Turner, Rockies, Bridich, Bumgarner, Giants

By Mark Polishuk | December 7, 2016 at 2:15am CDT

Justin Turner is “still the favorite” to return as the Dodgers third baseman, but the team is also exploring some other options, Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times writes (Twitter links). The Dodgers have checked in on White Sox third baseman Todd Frazier, and McCullough figures L.A. would also explore such Sox options as Jose Quintana or David Robertson if Chicago went into rebuild mode. Given that the Sox dealt Chris Sale earlier today, it stands to reason that more moves could be on the way for the Pale Hose, and the Dodgers stand out as a logical trade partner. Here’s more from around the NL West…

Rockies GM Jeff Bridich confirmed reports that his team had spoken to the White Sox about first baseman Jose Abreu, speaking with MLB.com’s Thomas Harding and other reporters on Tuesday. “We have been paying attention to any and all avenues of trying to upgrade ourselves at first base, and just like we’re in touch with a lot of teams, we have been in touch with the White Sox about, not just Abreu, but also a variety of their players, because they have expressed an interest in seeing what they can get,” Bridich said. This is just my speculation, but with the Rockies looking for both back-end relief help and starting pitching, Robertson and Quintana would stand out as obvious players of interest on the Sox roster. Bridich also said he had talked with the Royals “about a number of different things a number of times,” with Harding reporting that Wade Davis was one player under discussion.
Rockies owner Dick Monfort spoke of a payroll increase earlier this offseason, and Bridich confirmed that the team is still prepared to spend in the right circumstance. Given that Colorado has been linked to such pricey names as Edwin Encarnacion and Mark Trumbo, it would indeed seem like the Rox have some money to spend.
The Giants aren’t in ongoing negotiations with Madison Bumgarner about a contract extension, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. In October, Giants CEO Larry Baer cited a desire to keep Bumgarner in the fold well past 2019 (the star lefty’s last year of control under his current contract), though the lack of talks shouldn’t necessarily indicate a change in the team’s thinking, as most teams often wait until offseason business is concluded before focusing on extensions.
In another tweet from Schulman, he reports that the Giants are exploring possible trades for left field help, with free agency a less likely avenue. San Francisco’s “plan A” for left field, however, is a platoon of youngsters Mac Williamson and Jarrett Parker.

Aroldis Chapman Reportedly Has $92MM Offer

By Steve Adams | December 7, 2016 at 12:12am CDT

One of the top three relievers, Mark Melancon, is off the board after agreeing to a record-setting $62MM deal with the Giants yesterday. But both Aroldis Chapman and Kenley Jansen, the top two relievers of the winter, remain unsigned. Both are likely to make Melancon’s time as the relief contract record holder brief, and we’ll track today’s updates on their market here…

The Yankees haven’t gone as high as $92MM in their offers to Chapman, and the Marlins aren’t believed to be willing to spend quite that much, Heyman reports (Twitter links).
Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria has indeed given his front office the green light to spend on signing Chapman or Jansen, ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark reports, though this “preliminary approval” of funds may still not be enough to outbid other big spenders on either ace closer.

Earlier Updates

The Yankees are “determined” to land Chapman, Heyman tweets. It’s not clear, however, that they’re the team that offered Chapman $92MM.
One team believes Chapman has a $92MM offer in hand, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweets.
The Yankees have made offers to both Chapman and Jansen, reports MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch (on Twitter).
Andy McCullough of the L.A. Times tweets that the Dodgers are remaining “competitive” in the markets for Jansen and Chapman, and they’ve also chatted with the Royals about closer Wade Davis.
Chapman has received multiple offers that have passed the $80MM threshold, Heyman tweets. The Yankees still see him as their priority, but the Dodgers and Marlins are in the mix as well. He also suggests that the Nationals could join the fray for Chapman, pointing out that GM Mike Rizzo and manager Dusty Baker (who managed Chapman in Cincinnati) both love Chapman.
There’s an expectation that Jansen will sign before Chapman, reports ESPN’s Jim Bowden.
The Yankees are more focused on Chapman than Jansen and are willing to offer a five-year deal in the range of $80MM, reports FanRag’s Jon Heyman. Chapman said yesterday that he’s hoping to receive a six-year deal, but the Yankees won’t go to that level to sign him, according to Heyman. For the Yankees, Jansen is more of a backup plan to Chapman than a prime target.
The Marlins are firmly in the mix for both top closers, at owner Jeffrey Loria’s behest, but their preference between the two differs from the Yankees, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Miami has preferred Jansen to Chapman from the start of free agency, despite the fact that he comes with the burden of draft pick compensation after rejecting a qualifying offer. Sherman notes that if the Marlins are able to land Jansen before Chapman signs, that could push the Dodgers to make a strong run at Chapman, potentially throwing a wrench into the Yankees’ winter plans. The Dodgers are trying to retain Jansen, according to Sherman, but they’d seemingly shift course to Chapman if Jansen came off the board.

Dodgers Have “Expressed Interest” In Todd Frazier

By Jeff Todd | December 6, 2016 at 1:33pm CDT

The Dodgers have “expressed interest” in White Sox third baseman Todd Frazier, according to a tweet from ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick. It isn’t clear whether talks have advanced.

Los Angeles has long been said to be eyeing a reunion with free agent Justin Turner, but presumably Frazier would represent an alternative. With Chicago selling off top hurler Chris Sale for prospects, it makes more sense than ever for the organization to explore trades of other veteran assets.

That’s all the more true in the case of Frazier, who is under team control for just one more season. With a projected $13.5MM arbitration salary, he’s not cheap, but the 30-year-old continues to deliver strong overall value at the hot corner. Never great at reaching base, Frazier’s OBP has tanked since the start of 2015. But he has also driven 75 balls out of the yard over the last two campaigns. And though his metrics dipped at third last year, he typically rates well with the glove, too.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Fowler, Turner, Bautista, Ross

By Connor Byrne | December 6, 2016 at 7:42am CDT

The Cardinals have been connected to free agent center fielder Dexter Fowler throughout the offseason, and the club made him an initial offer Monday during a meeting with his representatives, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports. That’s at least the second offer Fowler has received – the Blue Jays have reportedly proposed a four-year deal in the $60MM neighborhood. Fowler is seeking $18MM annually on a multiyear pact.

Four To Five Teams Interested In Brian Dozier

By Connor Byrne | December 6, 2016 at 6:08am CDT

TUESDAY, 6:08am: On the contrary, the Yankees aren’t involved in the Dozier sweepstakes, general manager Brian Cashman told MLB Network Radio on Monday (Twitter link). “I haven’t had any dialogue with the Twins about Dozier. That’s a false report,” Cashman said.

12:48am: The Yankees have checked in on Dozier, though it’s unclear how serious they are about acquiring him, reports Heyman. New York traded for second baseman Starlin Castro last winter, but his recent track record pales in comparison to Dozier’s. Castro hit .270/.300/.433 with 21 homers in 610 plate appearances in his first year with the Yankees and is owed $31MM through the 2020 season.

MONDAY: The notion that the Dodgers have “piqued” the Twins’ interest in trade discussions for second baseman Brian Dozier is “more rumor than substance,” a source told Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link). That could change, however, as talks will pick up during this week’s winter meetings, per Wolfson.

In a potentially interesting development, Dozier will attend the meetings in National Harbor, Md., and is scheduled to arrive Monday, according to Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press. Dozier will be on hand because of a marketing commitment, not necessarily to help facilitate a trade, but he’ll likely to have the chance to meet with newly hired Twins chief baseball officer Derek Falvey and general manager Thad Levine for the first time. Levine said earlier this week that the Twins would have to be “really inspired” to trade Dozier, but it’s nonetheless easy to imagine the rebuilding club dealing him on the heels of a career year.

While Dozier has been a more-than-steady contributor since 2013, he burst on the national scene in 2016 by becoming just the fourth second baseman to ever reach the 40-HR plateau in a season. Dozier swatted 42 homers, to be exact, and he displayed more than power with an impressive .268/.340/.545 batting line in 691 plate appearances, 18 steals and and a superstar-caliber fWAR (5.9).

As a result of both his stellar production and affordability – he’ll make a combined $15MM over the next two seasons – four to five teams are pushing to acquire Dozier, reports FanRag’s Jon Heyman (Twitter link). The only identified suitor is the Dodgers, whose interest in the 29-year-old has been known since November.

« Previous Page

Load More Posts

Show all

Headlines

Dodgers Rumors

Navigation

MLBTR INFO

Connect