I am going to be out and about over the next several days. We have Christmas Eve and Christmas days already planned out, and we leave on our winter sojourn to Windsor, CA and the wine country the day after Christmas. So, unless the Dodgers make a move, this is going to be my Christmas post.
While anticipating Santa Claus for the grandkids, I have been busy running around and not writing. Then again, what is there to write about. It is not just the Dodgers…it is all MLB.
I open my MLB notifications and find nothing new. I open MLBTR and see virtually no significant free agent movement or significant trades. One of the two “blockbusters” is the Jeff McNeil trade from NYM to the A’s. How lucky does McNeil feel to go from the bright lights of Queens to a MiLB facility in Sacramento? He does get to commiserate with former teammate Luis Severino.
The second was Boston trading with St. Louis for 1B/C Willson Contreras. Now Boston has to find a trade partner for both Tristan Casas and Masataka Yoshida. The Dodgers might have a better chance at getting Kristian Campbell and/or Marcelo Mayer from Boston than Jarren Duran.
The MLB free agents signed the last couple of days:
- 3B/1B Munetaka Murakami with White Sox
- RHRP Zach Pop signed with Phillies
- RHH OF Rob Refsnyder signed with Mariners
- LHSP Sean Newcomb signed with White Sox
- RHRP Jacob Webb signed with Cubs
- 1B/RF Ryan O’Hearn signed with Pirates
There were nine free agents with Qualifying Offers who did not accept them. Three have signed. Kyle Schwarber re-signed with Philadelphia. The only free agents with a Qualifying Offer who have signed with different teams were Dylan Cease with Toronto and Edwin Díaz with the Dodgers. That leaves: Kyle Tucker, Bo Bichette, Alex Bregman, Framber Valdez, Ranger Suárez, and Zac Gallen. Only three of them are represented by Scott Boras; Bregman, Suárez, and Gallen.
My Christmas wish would be Bo Bichette, Kyle Tucker, or Harrison Bader. In that order. The chances are remote for any of the three, but as long as they are unsigned…
I am also hoping that some of the kids get a legit shot at a roster position. Hyeseong Kim, Alex Freeland, Dalton Rushing, and Ryan Ward have the best opportunities. None of them are going to be regulars.
Rushing is going to stick as a backup catcher. The Dodgers have shown in the past that they prefer the veteran over the rookie/sophomore. Signing Bichette hurts Kim and Freeland with the Dodgers. Signing Tucker or Bader hurts Ward and perhaps Rushing with the Dodgers.
I was all in for trading Rushing last winter when his trade value was at its zenith. It was probably still very high at the deadline. Could he have been the player the Dodgers balked at giving up for Kwan? With his lackluster year in 2025, and with Ben Rortvedt taking over the backup catcher role in the playoffs, his trade value has dissipated, but not yet evaporated. Maybe he can get a Michael Busch return, but I doubt that he is a headliner for a MLB regular. Remember Luis Campusano was also very highly rated and killed MiLB pitching.
Alex Freeland is a top 100 prospect (#45 for MLB Pipeline), so he has trade value. But at 24 that value is also dissipating. Is he a better option than Kim? We will see after Spring when the 26 man roster is determined. I do not think both will make it. Is Alex better than Matt Shaw, who the Cubs are looking to move and not finding a good enough return to pull the trigger? Shaw was a better prospect than Freeland.
The most smoke on the LAD trade front is Lars Nootbaar. I can make the argument that the Dodgers would prefer Nootbaar to Ryan Ward. I have made that argument. However, I prefer to give Ward the chance. Nootbaar is a local lad and a Trojan. He is a proven MLB OF, but the Dodgers have to show faith in someone like Ward don’t they? AF/BG made the mistake last year by signing Michael Conforto when they could have given Ward the opportunity, but didn’t. Will this year be different?
The last time the Dodgers did go for the youth over the vet was with Lux, Vargas, and Outman. How did that turn out. That has to be in the back of the heads of AF/BG.
Who is on your Christmas list?
Sign Bichette and call it an off season complete minus the obvious MiLB signings with ST invites that will occur.
Bichette at 2B, Freeland as trade bait, Kim to get a roster spot, Ward/Call in LF (although I would like to see Teo in LF) and Rushing gets 2-3 starts per week at catcher and 1B and possibly LF if he can prove to hold his own in the OF while in ST.
Putting Bichette at 2B would free Edman to play CF, flanked by Teo in LF and Pages in RF.
I might agree with your ordering of Bichette, Tucker & Bader. Fairbanks could also be smart. I always prefer a signing to a trade, but Duran, Kwan & Buxton could be difference makers.
Happy Holidays to all on the blog. I realize we all have our differences occasionally but Jeff is an outstanding host and we owe it to him to try to be civil.
Go Blue!
Fairbanks just agreed to terms with Miami. 1 year $13MM, with $1MM in incentives, and $500K if traded.
That leaves Seranthony Dominguez as the best reliever available. I guess Chris Bassitt can slot into that bucket if he does not catch on as a starter. Same with Nick Martinez. But pure relief, Dominguez is at the apex.
The bullpen should be set, especially since it may include both River Ryan and Gavin Stone.
From the right side: Diaz, Treinen, Ryan, Stone, Henriquez, Klein, Casparius
Lefties: Scott, Wrobleski, Vesia, Dreyer
Who am I forgetting?
To that 11 we could add the six-man rotation: Yamamoto, Snell, Shohei, Glasnow, Sasaki and Sheehan.
Whoever has options may start in OKC with Knack and Bobby Miller and others with ML.
A lot of these guys could factor into a trade. Sheehan would probably bring the biggest return.
Ryan and Stone will probably be in OKC getting stretched out for the inevitable IL stint by one or more of the starters. Graterol and Banda are also bullpen options.
Merry Christmas and happy holidays to everyone. Have a great trip Jeff and a big thank you for an incredible 2025 of Dodger baseball!
My Christmas outfielder list is Duran, Donovan, Abreu, Kwan, Tucker in that order but I’d be happy with any of them. I’d also love to have Bichette along with or instead of any of those outfielders.
You mentioned Matt Shaw. I’d love to have him as Max’s successor at third base and if it took some pitching to get him and it probably would, I would seriously consider it. He didn’t get off to the best start last year but he had a good second half as far as I recall and I would like to see what he could do in Dodger Blue.
Jeff, I wish you and your family the happiest of holidays, enjoy the grandkids, enjoy Windsor and we’ll see you after the first of the year and we can discuss all the new players we got while you were gone.
I was an advocate of Matt Shaw, and then I saw his statcast page (see below). 3rd percentile for avg exit velo, and 7th percentile for hard hit? Not good for a corner infielder. Other than speed, he is almost all blue. and no other red. He did have a couple tweeners (< 70 percentile) for launch angle sweet spot and whiff %.
I think I would rather give Freeland a chance than trade for Shaw.
Bah humbug. Now you’ve ruined my Christmas. 😁
Now former (or very soon to be) LA Times sportswriters, Dylan Hernandez and Jack Harris, are leaving LA Times to join new West Coast publication, California Post that is going to have a heavy emphasis on sports. California Post is an expansion move for the New York Post. Both Hernandez and Harris will be focusing on the Dodgers. Sounds like same gig but with a different publication.
I guess this means that Dylan Hernandez will be trying to become the west coast verion on NY Post’s Jon Heyman.
Hernandez has written some good opinion pieces over the years. Harris is more of a beat reporter. Hernandez is one of the nicest guys I met when I was up in the press box all those years ago. Back when I mattered in this realm. He is very personable. I wish him the best with his new gig.
Merry Christmas Jeff, Bear and everyone over here.
I saw Harris’s Tweet yesterday. Looks interesting, although I would never compare Dylan Hernandez to Jon Heyman. Heyman is about is a vanilla as you can get while Hernandez doesn’t write anything without trying to cause a stir.
Do you know if the Post is going to be both print and digital, or just digital?
I think a lot of people who work for the Times aren’t real happy there so there may be more defections, although not necessarily on the Dodger beat.
I do not know if what medium(s) the publication will be in. And I agree with you about Hernandez and Heyman’’s style. It’s that they both work for a common ownership…Heyman very connected in NY, and Hernandez in LA.
I know it will not happen, but I would love to see Bellinger back. He is a different hitter now and his defense is better than anyone on the list. Bichette would be a nice add as long as he would play second. They need some pop off of the bench. I am tired of punch and Judy hitters like Kike who except for his postseason numbers is almost worthless as a hitter during the regular season.
I’m not 100% saying Bellinger won’t happen, although I used to.
Here’s a scenario: we are all-in on Tucker but bidding goes bonkers. We turn instead to 2-3 deal for I Can’t Believe It’s Not Tucker alternative in Bellinger.
Huge chance he has no interest but nice little window for a couple more rings.
My Christmas list still starts with Buxton, but I’m also intrigued by Robert Jr. Both are proven CF talents on offense and defense who have struggled with injuries but could deliver big production.
Plus, I’d rather see some wheeling and dealing than AF just writing a fat check for Tucker. The Dodgers are so deep that the upside potential of Buxton or Robert feels like a worthy gamble–though I wouldn’t be upset with Duran either.
On the fat-check front, Bichette seems like a good long-term fit as a clear upgrade to both Edman and Kim. His bat, over time, would make up for the inevitable decline of Freddie and Max.
Should we keep or trade Rushing? He might be the key to any trade.
It would be fun to see a three-way trade with the Reds and Red Sox. The Dodgers might give up Rushing and a couple of prospects and get back Duran and Rortvedt, who won high marks from the pitching staff.
So maybe…
Shohei DH
Bichette 2B
Freddie 1B
Mookie SS
Smith C
Max 3B
Teo LF
Duran CF
Pages RF
Honestly, I’d be OK with zero moves before Spring training. Last season, even with Conforto dragging the offense down, the Dodgers finished second to the Yankees in runs scored.
I’d like to see Kim get some of that “runway” at 2B, and I have the same Christmas wish for Ryan Ward. I’d rather see what Ward can do than give Lars Nootbar the job.
That is a wonderful dream Duke but there is no way on this earth that we will see Tucker, AND Bichette on the same Dodgers line up, I would love to see either one of them on the roster, but I think even those odds are on the lower side, not impossible, just not likely.
Re-read what I wrote.
I think it’s plausible that the Dodgers trade for an outfielder and write a fat check for Bichette.
I don’t think it’s plausible that AF signs both Tucker and Bichette, but perhaps one or the other.
I think the Dodgers have so much prospect depth that they should execute a trade for an outfielder.
I also think that AF does absolutely nothing more before Opening Day the Dodgers would still be considered favorites to win the National League and World Series.
Sorry about that, for some reason I saw Tucker in that lineup, guess I should have been wearing my glasses😄
now that I’m paying attention, that line up is something that is possible, with a signing and a trade.
Plan A: Tucker or Bichette
Plan B: Bader or trade for Duran
Plan C: Kepler or something stupid