Anderson accepts Dodgers' qualifying offer
Kendrick, Greinke reject their one-year, $15.8 million offers
LOS ANGELES -- Starting pitcher Brett Anderson accepted a one-year, $15.8 million qualifying offer to remain with the Dodgers in 2016, but Zack Greinke and Howie Kendrick rejected theirs on Friday.
Anderson overcame an injury-prone reputation with his healthiest and most productive season since 2009. His decision to bypass free agency eases pressure on the front office to fill out a rotation that now also has Clayton Kershaw and Alex Wood.
Hyun-Jin Ryu (left shoulder) and Brandon McCarthy (right elbow) are coming off operations. Ryu might be ready for the start of the season, but McCarthy probably won't be until the All-Star break.
Anderson was 10-9 with a 3.69 ERA this year, making 31 starts with 180 1/3 innings. That earned him $2.4 million in performance bonuses in addition to a $10 million base salary he received for singing last winter to be the fifth starter.
Until this year, no player had accepted a qualifying offer. Houston's Colby Rasmus and Baltimore's Matt Wieters also accepted qualifying offers on Friday.
If Greinke or Kendrick signs with another team, the Dodgers will receive a compensatory Draft pick at the end of the first round. The players still can re-sign with the Dodgers.
Greinke, who opted out of a contract that would have paid him $71 million over the next three years, is likely to receive a five- or six-year contract at $30 million annually. The Dodgers remain interested in Greinke, and reportedly, free agent David Price.
Video: NYM@LAD Gm2: Greinke K's eight en route to Game 2 win
Extending a qualifying offer to Kendrick was a concession that the Dodgers are uncertain about second base. Kendrick was acquired last winter from the Angels in the complicated trade that sent second baseman and eventual batting champ Dee Gordon to Miami, and he played well offensively and defensively for the Dodgers.
Video: LAD@SF: Kendrick fields, spins and fires
Jose Peraza and Kiké Hernandez are other internal second-base options for the Dodgers, and club officials said they remain interested in free agent Chase Utley.
Fantasy spin | Fred Zinkie (@FredZinkieMLB)
By tossing a career-high 180 1/3 innings last season, Anderson put himself back onto mixed-league radar. The southpaw has wisely chosen to remain in an advantageous situation, where he will benefit from a pitcher-friendly home park and strong supporting cast. But the native Texan will need to improve on his 5.8 K/9 rate and 1.33 WHIP from 2015 in order to be more than a matchup-based option in shallow formats.