Los Angeles Dodgers: It’s going to be Gerrit Cole or nothing this winter
By Jason Reed
The prize pitching possession this offseason is Gerrit Cole. And for the Los Angeles Dodgers, he might just be the only big-name acquisition possible.
The Los Angeles Dodgers finished with the second-most wins in the regular season, and while the team ultimately fell short in the NLDS, the team’s record-setting win total showcased just how talented the roster in 2019 is.
The best part is that the Dodgers are not losing very many players to free agency this winter. David Freese‘s contract was up and he already retired and veterans Rich Hill and Russell Martin are also free agents, although it would not be surprising if the Dodgers brought either (or both) of them back for one year.
The biggest free-agent loss is going to be Hyun Jin-Ryu, who is going to be a finalist for the National League Cy Young after a career year. While it would be nice to see Ryu return to the Dodgers, he is likely going to get offers from other teams that are way too high when you consider his age health history.
That seemingly makes the starting rotation the one area that the Dodgers should look to address this offseason. The starting rotation is deep and young, and the team seemingly has its ace in Walker Buehler.
However, there is nothing wrong with adding more pitching, especially if the team could get a special arm such as Gerrit Cole.
Cole’s market is going to be large so the Dodgers are going to have some competition in bringing in the all-star righty. However, the Dodgers may go against the grain and go all-in on Cole, as it is him or nothing this winter.
Here are the three reasons why.