Who will Dodgers target after landing Snell?

November 27th, 2024

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

Nov. 27: Who will Dodgers target after getting Snell?
The World Series champions are improving their roster in a big way. The Dodgers and left-handed ace Blake Snell agreed on a five-year, $182 million contract Tuesday, a source told MLB.com's Mark Feinsand.

The two-time Cy Young Award winner immediately slots into a rotation that should also include Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in 2025. Plus, the Dodgers have Bobby Miller, Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin on the roster and are expected to bring back Clayton Kershaw, who is a current free agent.

So, does that mean the Dodgers are done addressing their rotation? Perhaps not. MLB Network insider Jon Heyman reported in the New York Post last week that the club would try to add both an elite MLB veteran starter such as Snell, Corbin Burnes or Max Fried as well as Japanese star right-hander Roki Sasaki.

Sasaki isn't expected to sign with an MLB club until Jan. 15, when the 2025 international signing period begins, but it may be too early to subtract the Dodgers from Sasaki's possible landing spots.

In the trade market, Heyman said during his Wednesday chat on Bleacher Report that the Dodgers are also interested in White Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet.

Then there is the crown jewel of the offseason: Juan Soto. The Dodgers are one of the five clubs that have extended a contract offer to Soto, per MLB Network insider Jon Paul Morosi. Heyman wrote that the Dodgers "don't appear to be out on Soto" even after agreeing to terms with Snell.

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.