Los Angeles Dodgers: One reason not to sign each star free agent
By Jason Reed
The Los Angeles Dodgers are naturally in the mix for all of the top free agents this winter but the front office may convince itself to stay away.
The Los Angeles Dodgers, as they are every winter, are one of the listed teams interested in each of the three big free agents this winter — Gerrit Cole, Stephen Strasburg and Anthony Rendon. However, unlike past years, it seems like the Dodgers will actually spend to make a splash.
The Dodgers are well-enough below the luxury tax to sign one of these free agents and have a lot more money being freed up next offseason and the following. If there was ever a time to land a star, now is the time.
Like past free agents, the Dodgers likely will not be desperate and go over their price for each star, which will probably lead to a lot of disappointing Dodger fans who want to see a marquee signing. But hey, all of those fans that will be upset will be the first ones to cheer if any of these guys struggle and the Dodgers didn’t sign them.
When looking at each of them, there actually is one significant downside for each player that could lead the Dodgers to simply pass and instead perhaps bring back Hyun-Jin Ryu and bolster the bullpen.
This is not to say that the Dodgers won’t sign one of the three or that they should completely avoid them for these reasons. These are simply the one unique reason for each free agent that could sour the Dodgers.