Evaluating, Postering, and Negioation
Why haven’t the Dodgers just signed Teoscar Hernandez, Walker Buehler, Willy Adames, Juan Soto, Max Fried, or Matt Snell? I mean… not all of them… but maybe one… or three? Every year, the free agent market is different. This year, several teams are really in on Juan Soto, namely…
Why haven’t the Dodgers just signed Teoscar Hernandez, Walker Buehler, Willy Adames, Juan Soto, Max Fried, or Matt Snell? I mean… not all of them… but maybe one… or three?
Every year, the free agent market is different. This year, several teams are really in on Juan Soto, namely the Mets, Yankees, Phillies, Dodgers, Jays and allegededly a “mystery team.” I did not mention Roki Sasaki because he has not been posted… but while we are talking about Sasaki, some say it is a done deal and that he is going to sign with the Dodgers while others say that Rob Manfred is going to take action against them for tampering with Sasaki. I have no clue – he hasn’t been posted yet. If he is posted this year, the Dodgers can offer him the most money, but I suspect his Japanese team will post him next year, in which case here is what each team has to spend:
$7,555,500 Pool
Cincinnati Reds
Detroit Tigers
Miami Marlins
Milwaukee Brewers
Minnesota Twins
Oakland Athletics
Seattle Mariners
Tampa Bay Rays
$6,908,600 Pool
Arizona Diamondbacks
Baltimore Orioles
Cleveland Guardians
Colorado Rockies
Kansas City Royals
Pittsburgh Pirates
$6,261,600 Pool
Atlanta Braves
Boston Red Sox
Chicago Cubs
Chicago White Sox
Los Angeles Angels
New York Mets
New York Yankees
Philadelphia Phillies
San Diego Padres
Texas Rangers
Toronto Blue Jays
Washington Nationals
$5,646,200 Pool
Houston Astros
St. Louis Cardinals
$5,146,200 Pool
Los Angeles Dodgers
San Francisco Giants
So, only 28 teams can outbid the Dodgers for Roki Sasaki. Not good odds! Oh, and they are really likely to post him for 2025, so the Dodgers are screwed! Right? No… so fast! Andrew Friedman knows that he will have to overpay for it, but he could get about $3 to $4 Million if he traded some top prospects for International Signing Bonus Money.
It could work, but then AF might have to sign Juan Soto. There are lots of scenerios and I can’t list them all, but Soto is still a possibility…not a huge possibility, but Borass knows that Soto wants to win and the Dodgers are his best option to do that!
Personally, I think the Dodgers have enough starting pitchers. They can start the season with Yamamoto, Glasnow, Gonsolin, Knack, Ohtani, and (pick one) May, Miller, or Wrobleski, and then add Sheehan and/or Kershaw later. There are so many options.
Alex Freeland is ranked the #2 Dodger Prospect by Baseball America in 2025. Here’s what they say about him:
Track Record: Despite being born with a clubfoot which required multiple surgeries to correct, Freeland has thrived on the diamond. First, he starred at Central Florida, where he swatted 18 home runs across two seasons before the Dodgers selected him in the third round of the 2022 draft. Two years later, he was one of the system’s highest risers. In 2024, Freeland moved from High-A to Triple-A and racked up a system-best 32 doubles while hitting 18 home runs and stealing 31 bases in the process.
— Baseball America
Scouting Report: Inside and outside the organization, Freeland drew raves from evaluators for his well-rounded skill set. In the batter’s box, he can work an at-bat until he gets the pitch he likes before spraying a line drive to the outfield—if not over the fence. He’s got quick hands, excellent bat speed and the ability to manipulate the barrel into different parts of the strike zone. Defensively, Freeland has a chance to stick at shortstop but second or third base are also viable options. His bat would profile at either spot. Freeland’s above-average arm makes third base his likeliest non-shortstop defensive home. He’s an above-average runner and was one of just four players in the minor leagues with 30 or more doubles and stolen bases. Evaluators were also particularly fond of Freeland’s makeup, citing a player dripping with the kind of confidence necessary to remain unfazed in key situations.
The Future: Shortstop is one of the few spots where the reigning World Series champions have a bit of a question mark. If they do not sign a free agent to take over the role, Freeland has a shot to earn the job at some point in 2025. If not, he’ll head back to Triple-A to continue getting reps at other infield spots after having played exclusively at shortstop from Double-A onward.
Scouting Grades Hit: 55 | Power: 55 | Run: 55 | Fielding: 50 | Arm: 55
I could see a scenerio where the Dodgers trade DePaula and/or Rushing and get International Draft Money for Sasaki and then sign Juan Soto and Teoscar Hernandez… and are done! Rojas can play SS until Freeland is ready and this would be the lineup:
- Ohtani DH
- Betts 2B
- Freeman 1B
- Teoscar Hernandez RF
- Juan Soto LF
- Will Smith C
- Max Muncy 3B
- Tommy Edman CF
- Miguel Rojas and later, Alex Freeland SS
Rotation: Yamamoto, Glasnow, Sasaki, Gonsolin, Ohtani, Miller, Knack ,Wrobleski, Sheehan, and Kershaw.
I’m not saying that is what will happen… but you never know!
X-CIRES
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Discussion (51)
Disagree, not disagreeable
If Teo doesn’t return, the Dodger will need to sign a power right handed bat for the outfield.
Soto will be a Met for the 2025 season and beyond. Bet it!!!
The no-Adames, no-Kim lineup options…. with a optimistic youth movement (Rushing + Freeland + Pages + Outman)… but still assuming Teo returns.
Against righties:
Shohei DH
Mookie 2B
Freddie 1B
Teo RF
Max 3B
Smith C
Rushing LF
Outman CF
Edman SS
Against lefties:
Shohei DH
Mookie 2B
Freddies 1B
Teo LF
Smith C
Pages RF
Edman CF
Freeland 3B
Rojas SS
I suspect that Soto will stay in NYC. Both the Yankees and Mets make more sense (and dollars and cents) than LA. I’m optimistic that Teo will return.
That report on Freeland is very encouraging. If the Dodgers don’t sign Adames, perhaps it makes more sense to pass on Kim and go with an Edman/Rojas/Freeland combo at SS–assuming that Freeland is truly ready. And Freeland could spell Max at 3B from time to time as well.
While Mookie handles 2B full-time, Edman could shuttle between SS and CF in a quasi-platoon with Miggy and Outman or Pages or Taylor.
Roberts loves that “optionality” stuff.
I could see Dodgers offering Soto $50M over 10 years. But he’ll probably sign for longer and for more $$.
I suspect Teoscar or another RHH outfielder will be brought in. Maybe O’Neil who’s a better defender than Soto or Teoscar. It feels like they want a place for Rushing in LF.
I’d be surprised if they splurged on Adames too. With Mookie at 2nd, and Rojas, Edman, and Taylor SS has some depth. Hopefully Kike is back too.
So I think pitching is where they’ll drop the big $$. Sasaki would be great. Hopefully he isn’t staring down TJ surgery after an off year in 2024. If they miss on Sasaki, maybe Blake Snell. They thiught they had plenty of pitching last year with a bunch of guys coming back from surgeries too. It barely worked, and only after picking up Flaherty and Kopech at the deadline. Treinen might have another good hear in him. LHRP Scott would be a big get too.
Part of the sustainable winning means giving your own home grown guys opportunities. It would be great to see Pages, Rushing and Freeland force their way into the lineup. But having them and others around for depth in case of injury is another part of the LAD secret sauce.
Buehler turned it around in playoffs, but his regular season was a mess. There’s no gurantee anybody coming back from surgery will be both healthy AND effective. A lot of the young guns showed potential, but are far from being as established as Walker is. They’re going to be healthy as depth, but when Shohei and Glasnow aren’t sure to be healthy a rubber arm innings ester might be their best investment.