Now the offseason has officially begun

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And it starts with the announcement that nine Dodgers are officially free agents. Justin Turner and Kenley Jansen top the list, followed by by starting pitchers Rich Hill and Brett Anderson, relievers Joe Blanton, J.P. Howell and Jesse Chavez, outfielder Josh Reddick and second baseman Chase Utley. Scott Kazmir and Carlos Ruiz could join the list depending on their respective opt-outs.

My personal opinion? Keeping Turner and Jansen should be management’s first priority. After that it’s mixed. I doubt they’ll keep Utley. I think I’d keep Blanton and Howell, I’d try to keep Hill, and I’d watch Reddick and Chavez go.

What do you think?

80 thoughts on “Now the offseason has officially begun”

  4. Getting under the luxury tax by 2018 doesn’t seem possible to me, if the Dodgers want to maintain competitiveness, let alone upgrade. Using Baseball Reference’s judgment on options and arbitration numbers, the team figures to come in at $193 million in 2017 and $185 million in 2018, before dropping to $111 million in 2019.

    Back of the envelope puts the cost of retaining Jansen and Turner at $32 million. If they go for Cutch and Kinsler as possible trade acquisitions that would be an additional $25 million. That would put salaries at $250, $244 and$155 over the next three years. Such an approach would basically preclude major upgrades in starters and relievers. Rotation would be Klayton, Urias, Wood, DeLeon, Stewart and Stripling as well as Kazmir (maybe something from McCarthy, but Ryu doubtful). Maybe worth it to resign Blanton, if the cost is reasonable, and hope that Yimi is back on track, otherwise go with Jansen, Baez, Dayton, Libby, Coleman, Fields, and Avilan, with Ravin and Frias.

    Cutch and Kinsler would cost us the farm, but would try to hold onto Bellinger, Alvarez, Diaz and Buehler.

    • Is the 2017 luxury tax threshold available? I assume that number will be going up as Dodger payroll finally comes down.

      I would be happy if $32M annually for both Jansen and Turner gets them back on the team depending on the years involved. I am okay with an outfield of Toles, Pederson, Puig, and Thompson as well as the current pitching available in-house. It would be nice if Verdugo and Calhoun could get a young, fast, plus-defender that hits well from the right side.

      • That number, the luxury tax, doesn’t seem to move all that much. The upcoming CBA may change that and make other changes, such that GMs have a degree of uncertainty at this point. Cutch is relatively young, though so was Andruw.

  10. So Kendrick for Ruf and Sweeney. I guess I over value Dodger players. I know Kendrick is not great but I was hoping for him being part of a large package for more exciting players. To be honest, I viewed Kendrick as the poor man’s Zobrist – playing left field and second base – but I guess he was a step or two below that.

    This is clichéd hindsight but I wish the Dodgers had signed the aforementioned Zobrist last off season.

      • So would I, but he is signed for three more years, his prime years, at a very good price, so hard to imagine the Snakes moving him even if they decide to rebuild under their new management.

  18. And so, this spring, we will get to know Vidal Nuño, who is from Southern California (National City).

    • Yeah, always figured that 2018 would be target for dropping below the luxury tax level, otherwise, remaining competitive, the other objective, would be hard to meet.

      • Once you’ve dropped below the luxury tax level it resets, and you can splurge again on something special.

  23. Today, at the bank, I found myself in line behind an elderly black gentleman wearing a Brooklyn Dodgers cap with the date “1955” at the back. I complemented him on it, and he asked if I knew what it mean – he said some people think it means “Boston.” I told him I knew better, and he said he had grown up in a place where he could walk to Ebbets Field.

  26. Not that I want Dodger ownership to become richer, or that I think I might pay less to subscribe to Extra Innings, or that ticket prices would be less costly, or that a Dodger Dog would cost less, or that parking might be free, I would like for the Dodger payroll to stay below the penalty level which last year was about $189M.

    With that in mind, I don’t want to add the cost of Cespedes or Braun to the Dodger payroll or re-sign Jansen unless other payroll costs are reduced. Where would I be willing to cut payroll? McCarthy, Kazmir, Gonzales, Grandal, Ethier.

    I would sign Turner regardless of other payroll cost preferably to a three year contract.

    I want to see the team get younger and faster and play great defense. That bodes well for Puig, Pederson, Toles, Bellinger, Thompson, Seager, and not so well for Gonzales, Henderson, Grandal, Utley, Kendrick, Ruiz, Sedegen.

    I am ready to watch players begin their long playing stint with the Dodgers and prefer that to watching players with a short playing stint with the Dodgers due to being near the end of their careers.

    I am confident with Stewart, Stripling, Urias, De Leon, De Jong, Buehler, Alveraz, Shefield, Oaks, Wood, Dayton, Garcia, Tolleson (hopefully), and therefore would be willing to trade Kershaw, Maeda, McCarthy, Kazmir.

    I would sign Tolleson as a free agent.

    I would like to see Trea Turner and Trout on the team regardless of how minuscule the chances are for that to happen.

    • Kershaw to Mets
      Amed Rosario and Noah Syndergaard to from Mets to Dodgers ( http://m.mlb.com/prospects/2016?list=nym )
      Amed Rosario and Calhoun and Schfield from Dodgers to Nationals
      Synergaard, Puig, Toles, Gonzales, McCarthy, Kazmir, $$, Diaz, Verdugo from Dodgers to Angels.
      Trout from Angels to Dodgers
      Trea Turner from Nationals to Dodgers

      Nationals have a top 10 mlb prospect due up for CF and would have a top 3 prospect ss in Rosario and a Murphy clone in Calhoun at second.

      Angels have the worst minor league system in mlb and needs pitching.

    • Every team in baseball would like to have Trout and Trea Turner.

      Henderson? It’s a little late for Rickey to try a comeback.

  27. I hope and expect Jansen and Turner will be back, and would like to see Hill as well. Relievers are often fungible, but Blanton had a really good season but for his post-season blowups. The Dodgers can exercise an option on Ruiz; personally, I think he’d be a solid backup, but they also have the versatile Barnes knocking on the door. Chutley could return, but they need a longer-term solution at 2B.

  29. I would try to keep Turner and Jansen, the rest can walk. I believe Hill and Blanton were one hit wonders.