Dodgers had recent meeting with coveted FA ace (report)

November 22nd, 2024

MLB.com is keeping track of all the latest free-agent and trade rumors involving the Dodgers right here.

Nov. 21: Dodgers had recent meeting with Snell (report)
Blake Snell is a player the Dodgers have had their eye on for a while. According to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal (subscription required), the Dodgers tried to sign him as a free agent last winter and were interested in acquiring him from the rival Giants before the 2024 Trade Deadline.

That interest has extended into yet another offseason. Sources told Rosenthal that the Dodgers recently had a meeting with Snell, who is also being pursued by the Red Sox, Orioles, Blue Jays and other clubs.

The Dodgers could be an attractive landing spot for Snell, a West Coast native who has split the past four seasons between San Diego and San Francisco. The left-hander got off to a rocky start in 2024 after signing with the Giants in March. He had a 9.51 ERA over his first six starts and made two trips to the injured list. But over his final 14 outings, Snell had a 1.23 ERA and 114 strikeouts in 80 1/3 innings.

Of course, Snell isn't the only frontline starter on the Dodgers' radar. They have also had talks with Corbin Burnes and Max Fried. But unlike those two pitchers, Snell is not attached to the qualifying offer this offseason. That means signing him won't cost a team at least one Draft pick and potentially international bonus pool money as well.

Nov. 19: Dodgers expected to meet with Soto this week
Juan Soto's decision on where to sign this offseason is the most anticipated in baseball, and according to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand, "the feeling around the industry" is that the decision could be made before the annual Winter Meetings get underway in Dallas on Dec. 9.

Feinsand also writes that the Dodgers are expected to be the next team to meet with Soto, with plans to sit down with the superstar slugger sometime this week. The defending World Series champions have the wherewithal to sign Soto, a lineup that features three former MVP Award winners and a spot in right field open now that Mookie Betts is expected to move back to the infield.

The Dodgers also currently have a vacancy in left field, with Teoscar Hernández a free agent. As expected, Hernández did not accept the Dodgers' qualifying offer prior to Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET deadline.

Nov. 14: Could Dodgers sign multiple top-notch starting pitchers?
There seems to be some disagreement between MLB insiders over whether the Dodgers are actually the favorites to sign Japanese star right-hander Roki Sasaki. The Athletic's Jim Bowden wrote Thursday (subscription required) that he thinks it's "unlikely" that Sasaki ends up with the reigning World Series champions.

However, MLB Network insider Jon Heyman, writing in the New York Post, reports that "it will be a surprise if Sasaki isn’t a Dodger." If Sasaki does join Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow in Los Angeles' rotation, that may not end the Dodgers' pursuit of ace starters.

Per Heyman, the club is looking into Corbin Burnes, Blake Snell and Max Fried, and it will try to sign a big-name starter even if it also lands Sasaki. Re-signing Walker Buehler is also an option for the Dodgers, according to Heyman. Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May and Bobby Miller are lined up to contribute to the Dodgers in 2025, and current free agent Clayton Kershaw expects to be back with the only Major League club he has known as well.

No matter what happens this winter, the Dodgers will be flush with starting pitching to open the 2025 season. But they are apparently making it a priority to get better on the mound.

Nov. 9: Will Sasaki join Ohtani and Yamamoto with Dodgers?
Ace Japanese right-hander Roki Sasaki is set to be posted by the Chiba Lotte Mariners of Nippon Professional Baseball this offseason, and the Dodgers could be the favorites when the bidding gets underway.

Because he hasn’t yet turned 25 years old, Sasaki will be classified as an international amateur, so MLB teams will be restricted in what they can offer him. As a result, the Dodgers won’t be able to outmuscle other teams with their considerable financial resources like they did when they signed two other top Japanese stars in free agency last offseason, landing Shohei Ohtani for $700 million on a 10-year contract and inking Yoshinobu Yamamoto to a 12-year, $325 million deal.

However, as Kiley McDaniel noted in a story for ESPN+ (subscription required) on Saturday, the Dodgers’ appeal as an organization goes beyond money.

“Sasaki is heavily rumored to prefer the Dodgers for all the reasons Yamamoto was presumed to: West Coast, loaded team, Japanese teammates, top-notch development, major market, etc.,” McDaniel wrote. “In a world where the amount of money each team can offer is a secondary concern, this becomes a college-style recruiting pitch, rather than the typical free agency bidding war, and the Dodgers might have the best pitch in baseball.”

However, ESPN's Jeff Passan doesn't think Sasaki to the Dodgers is a foregone conclusion, pointing to the level of international attention that Ohtani and Yamamoto command as a factor that might repel Sasaki.

According to Passan, Sasaki is close with Padres right-hander Yu Darvish, which could make San Diego an attractive destination. The Yankees, Mets, Blue Jays, Cubs, Rangers and Rays are some of the other clubs that could make strong recruiting pitches to the 23-year-old.

Nov. 6: Did the Dodgers just open up RF for Soto?
Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said at the GM meetings on Wednesday that the club plans to move Mookie Betts back to the infield after he began last season at shortstop but later moved back to right field.

That begs the question: Does this open up right field for a pursuit of superstar slugger Juan Soto?

The Dodgers are one of several teams thought to be interested in signing Soto to a megadeal, along with the Yankees, Mets and others. Whether moving Betts to the middle infield again is an indication that the franchise is going all-in on Soto is uncertain, but it is certainly an intriguing development.