Although MLB free agency is still in its early stages, with the Winter Meetings typically the launching point for signings and trades, there’s been little to suggest the Los Angeles Dodgers have much interest in re-signing Josh Reddick.
They acquired the outfielder, along with Rich Hill from the Oakland Athletics, in a five-player trade prior to the Aug. 1 non-waiver deadline. The duo was expected to fill important needs for the Dodgers, though there were bumps along the way.
Blister issues prevent Hill from pitching until Aug. 24, and Reddick struggled to make much of an impact during his first few weeks with the team; there was some bad luck as hard-hit balls found gloves more times than not.
He eventually hit a stretch of improvement though was largely underwhelming with the Dodgers. The Baltimore Orioles were recently reported as having interest in the 29-year-old, and according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network, so too do the Toronto Blue Jays:
#BlueJays showing interest in Josh Reddick, sources say, but can't fully determine direction until after José Bautista QO decision. @MLB
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) November 11, 2016
Overall this season Reddick hit .281/.345/.405 with 17 doubles, 10 home runs and 37 RBI. Included in that was batting .258/.307/.335 with six doubles, two home runs and nine RBI over 48 games with the Dodgers.
He appeared in 10 postseason games, making eight starts, and was 8-for-26 with two RBI.
Los Angeles has several outfielders under contract, one of which is an emerging Andrew Toles. What’s more, the likes of Trayce Thompson and Scott Van Slyke are expected to make full recoveries from their respective injuries.
The Dodgers have a clear answer to replacing Reddick in Yasiel Puig. General manager Farhan Zaidi recently gave Puig a vote of confidence, though that may do little to quell trade speculation involving the mercurial outfielder.
