The Dodgers bought out Chad Billingsley’s contract for $3M, making him a free agent.
The 30-year-old Billingsley, a former All-Star, is trying to return from two arm operations. He didn’t pitch in 2014 and made only two starts in 2013 before needing Tommy John surgery. While rehabbing this year, he required surgery to repair a partially torn flexor tendon.
A first-round pick in the 2003 First-Year Player Draft, Billingsley went 81-61 with a 3.65 ERA for the Dodgers. He won a career-high 16 games in 2008 and was an All-Star in ’09.
Billingsley becomes the seventh Dodger free agent. In addition to him, Hanley Ramirez, Paul Maholm, Chris Perez, Roberto Hernandez, Kevin Correia and Jamey Wright are also free to negotiate for new deals with any team.
Ramirez’s contract is possibly the biggest decision new boss Andrew Friedman will have to make. Do the Dodgers make him a $15.3M qualifying offer, which ensures they get something in return (a supplemental draft pick between the first and second rounds) if he rejects it and goes elsewhere? He might be worth more than that, especially if he’s willing to move to third base for a new team. The Dodgers have Uribe signed through 2015, so that’s not an option they could easily fulfill. My guess is they make the qualifying offer just to guarantee themselves a player in return when he signs with the Yankees to replace Derek Jeter.
Dan Haren picked up his $10M option to stay with the Dodgers, and Brian Wilson is expected to pick up his for the same amount. Maholm is recovering from knee surgery, Perez was lightly used down the stretch, Hernandez was mostly adequate, Correia wasn’t much help, and Jamey Wright is 40 years old with who knows how much left in his arm.
The team still has more outfielders than it knows what to do with, and it’s also got Joc Pederson pounding on the door to get in, although his cup of coffee at the end of September wasn’t very successful. Ethier and Crawford could be trade bait, but both have very large contracts. Ethier is signed through 2017 with an option for 2018; the balance of the contract is $53.5M through 2017. Crawford is still under terms of the contract he signed with the Red Sox, which has a balance of $62.5M through 2017.
It should be an interesting off-season.
NPUT
I wonder if the fact that Guerrero is now more or less considered an outfielder has any bearing on whether Pederson is considered available for a trade? Guerrero has a clause in his contract that pretty much forces the club to carry him on the 25 man roster this year. Carrying him could make both Pederson and SVS available for trades. Not the ideal situation but it is what it is.
Where did you find this “clause in his contract” business? I don’t recall seeing it anywhere. Can you point me to the place you found it?
Try this. http://m.mlb.com/news/article/63202616/
Actually, it says this: In addition, Guerrero cannot be optioned to the Minor Leagues without his permission after the first year of the contract.
Thanks.
Well, if he’s had fewer than 50 ABs in the majors and is hitting .091 (both hypothetical numbers) in the second year of his contract and is blocked by Gordon at 2B, Uribe at 3B and Ramirez at SS, in addition to Puig, Kemp and whoever (Ethier, Crawford, Pederson) in the OF, I wonder how hard getting his “permission” might be. He might want to play every day and improve his hitting in the minors.
I wonder what trade value he might have…
Would be relatively expensive contract to have sitting on the bench, unless another team was ready to take a risk and pencil him into their starting lineup.
It’s his defense that needs improving, he hit well in the minors.
BTW, I like Puig and all of his enthusiasm.
Arizona is allegedly shopping Miguel Montero, he has 3 years and $40MM left on his contract. Martin is going to be very expensive, Montero could be had in a trade. (Ethier+?) Would he play with LA? Would LA fans or players accept him? I would, I could see he and Ellis about splitting the starts, better on both of them.
Ethier has little or no trade value, especially to a team that already has one over-the-hill OFer in Cody Ross. The Snakes are rebuilding, and that would mean they’re not interested in Ethier at any price, let alone giving up someone who plays a premium position fairly well.
The circumstances for trading Dre seem somewhat limited. They probably have to involve 1) a contender with money that suddenly loses their own version of him; 2) Joc showing that he is up to being at least a 4-5 outfielder. I have faith in the latter, but would have to cross my fingers on the former.
Don’t see a problem with Montero, after all Marichal was a Dodgers.
And Hershiser was briefly a Giant. We got Tom Haller to catch for a while, too.
So was Duke Snider. Didn’t make it right.
Not a good Dodger though. Tt would make clubhouse life easier for Montero if Puig were not on the team.
What?
Puig and Montero have done most of the squabbling and by the time Marishal became a Dodgers he was well passed his prime. What was so mysterious that you had to say “what”?
Puig and Montero squabbled? When? Oh, this. That was in 2013. I wouldn’t worry about that at all. Besides, Puig’s talent is a lot greater than Montero’s, so I know which side I’m on.
If Sandoval can play third then so can Puig. Trade Ethier and eat as much of his salary as needed to do so. If Ramirez does not take the one year qualifying offer and is gone, I say, put Puig at third, Crawford in left, Pederson in CF, and Kemp in RF. Trade Uribe and give Uribe’s, Becketts’, and Rameriz’ salary to Lester, or Shields, or Scherzer, or to Hamels if obtainable.
That said, my first preference is still to trade Puig for Fernandez.
Ha! Ask the pitchers if they want to see Puig at third.
Ask them after he allows a runner to advance to second by making a throw to the wrong base or after he makes a diving webcam catch?
No, I meant ask them if they want to be between 3rd and 1st.
Ah! I see you are already visualizing Puig field the ball and know to throw to first;-)
I am curious. Did you ever play baseball?
Yes.
Puig is an OFer. And a good one.
Puig has a chance at being one of the games outstanding centerfielders. Seems to be asking a lot just to hand CF over to Joc at this point. Moreover, Uribe is a steal at 3rd at only $6.5 million.
Joc would still be a better CF regardless of Puig’s ability at CF and theDodgers have Kemp for RF. Puig has been making Joc look like a contact hitter of late.
Joc has a lot of potential, but you are essentially asking the Dodgers to move a fellow who could easily be an All Start centerfielder to a new untested position, trade GG at third who posted an OPS+ of 120 for only $6.5 million, and pay not to have Ethier play for the Dodgers just so that you can put a rookie into centerfield. You are asking a lot.
Well, I am saying what I would hope to be possible given the glut of outfielders but without trying it out on the field first or asking Mattingley if he has seen Puig take ground balls etc at third, I wouldn’t make decisions from my armchair. These are ideas to play around with instead of shooting them down out of hand.
Sorry you feel that I was shooting it down out of hand, thought I was just making it clear what you are asking for. To make it clear from my side, I don’t consider the outfield situation to be a “problem” that needs such a creative solution with attending costs and risks. Nor do I feel the need to hand a starting position to Joc.
Fair enough. My concept puts a young player in player in outfield as well as at 3b.
So, he is needed at third now if he can make the change.
No doubt he has the physical ability to be a good third baseman but he has absolutely no training or experience for it and at his age he would have no inclination whatsoever to learn a new position. He would need several years of minor league experience to get comfortable with the responsibilities and that just isn’t going to happen. Look how reluctant Hanley is to change from short to third and that is a very easy switch. Millionaires just don’t have to do that sort of thing.
Bill Russel and Dave Lopes went from CF to SS and 2B and they did it in the majors without minor league experience in the infield. Puig could return to the outfield should the Dodgers find themselves with too many infielders as they now have with too many outfielders.
A team puts up with millionaire’s attitudes if they need them and trade them if they don’t. If Puig wants to sulk at playing third then he can play OF for another team. Enough of this coddling.
Russell and Lopes were not very good infielders.
But they were World Series champions. Puig Seager Gordon could be the next Garvy, Cey, Russell, Lopes. Maybe Schebler could convert to first base. ♡
Puig is a ++ outfielder. Russell and Lopes never were (though I liked Lopes a lot, I didn’t care much for Russell).
Russel and Cey were my favorites on the 70s teams. It started with Snider as my all time favorite. I also liked Drysdale, Ron Fairly, Jim Lefebre,Valenzuela, Loney, Kemp, and now Seager and Pederson have have intrigued me. Basketball wise, it was Elgin Baylor and Magic Johnson.
I first saw Cey at age 15, when he played against us in Tacoma. You could see how much better he was than anyone else even then (and we had a pitcher who made the majors briefly).
I am curious, have you ever practiced psychology?
Seems the Hanley answer revolves around his value as a defensive shortstop. Why not offer him the 5 years he’s seeking subject to him acknowledging he has one year left at SS. Come 2016, Uribe is either gone or relegated utility, Saeger is ready, and Ramirez moves over to third.
Billingsley shouldn’t be forgotten either. Healthy, he’s fine in the 4-5 spot.
No debate yet on whether the Dodgers should pursue bringing Martin back or the market for Ethier & Crawford?
Five years?? Ramirez played 86 games in ’13 and 130 or so in ’14 — he’s injured a lot. He’s an old 30 at this stage of his baseball career. Heck, I’d almost rather let him go and go after Stephen Drew (no, no! That’s a joke! He’s been awful since he left Arizona!)
They need to eliminate part of their outfield payroll problem. Ethier and Crawford are the priciest, Puig is a bargain financially and a huge draw at the gate, Kemp seems to have recovered his swing along with his health, and Pederson and Van Slyke are still on the roster too.
How much are you willing to pay to not have either Ethier or Crawford play for the Dodgers? Isn’t that what it comes down to? Joc needs to show something for it to be a problem for me. How about a year OKC working on cutting down his K’s? Moneywise, I do see a tradeoff between resigning Hanley and another frontline starter.
Hanley got the expected Qualifying Offer.
Yep, and he has to make a decision by November 10 whether to take it or become a free agent. Given his injuries and his poor (for him) season at the plate, he might just take it and hope he can have a better year in 2015.
The Times writes up young shortstop Corey Seager.
Not reupping Bills is a clear indication that they are gong to try to get a top-three guy and not another 4-5 guy. Bills resigning probably would have required another 4-5 guy in any event, given the risks, so total outlays would have easily been in the $20m+ range. Haren would now slip to 5th with 6th coming from the farm. Still, sorry to see him go.
Bills might return to the Dodgers but, with his recent injury history, you can’t count on him to anchor the rotation.
Not sure they need an anchor with the big three starters, more like warm bodies to fill in at 4-5.
I was thinking that the anchor is at the bottom.
Except when it is up.
They can still sign him for less than $14M that includes an incentive laden contract.
Hopefully for a least $3 million less…
Ned might propose $14M but hopefully Friedman won’t waste the $3M buyout.
KPIG.COM (Santa Cruz) is playing a bogus advert for a “World Series Home Riot Kit.”
Going into 2015 with the following infielders could work.
Uribe, Arrubarrena, Gordon, Gonzales, Turner, Zorbist (from Rays) plus Van Slyke.
Zorbist would take the place of Guerrero. Maybe, that becomes the trade–Guerrero for Zorbist.
Guerrero’s contact apparently allows him to become a free agent if traded.
I was closer than I feared ‘re Zionist. Tampa would want to deal with the contract before making the trade
The Devils have exercised their option on Zobrist, who will be 33 in May (not a kid, though he’s a very good and versatile player).
I’d like to see Hanley re-signed, but I can’t imagine the Dodgers will outbid an AL team, which can offer him the DH option on a longer contract. The qualifying offer is a no-brainer.
There is talk about the Dodgers trading for the Rays Zorbist. He would be another Turner type utility player and give the Dodgers some offense at short if Seager is not ready and Arrubarrena shies away from hitting.
Who else is talking about it? I think they just signed an extension with him the other day and seemed real happy to have him. Don’t hold your breath on that trade.
http://rayscoloredglasses.com/2014/10/29/does-sense-tampa-bay-rays-trade-ben-zobrist/