The Los Angeles Dodgers don’t have much work to do this offseason with the majority of their roster in place, but they face a need in their outfield and back end of the bullpen.
Two of the top free agents available, Kyle Tucker and Edwin Díaz, fit the Dodgers’ needs, but would also come at a hefty price to sign either of them. At this point, the Dodgers don’t appear willing to make any significant signings after back-to-back offseasons of big splashes in free agency.
But the Dodgers remain on the hunt for quality players, having already made contract offers to Devin Williams, Ryan Helsley and Raisel Iglesias, despite missing out on all three.
Now, the Dodgers may have narrowed their current focus on Robert Suarez and Harrison Bader, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today:
Oh, they’ll dip put their toes in the water for Tucker, Bellinger and Diaz, but they would prefer to grab outfielder Harrison Bader and Suarez.
The Dodgers have shown interest in Suarez this offseason and appear to prefer signing him to a shorter-term deal rather than offering a longer-term contract to Díaz.
Suarez, who is entering his age-35 season, is expected to receive a two-or three-year contract worth around $15-16 million annualy, according to FanGraphs projections.
Over the past two seasons, Suarez has 76 saves with 11 blown saves in 135 appearances with a 2.87 ERA. He has also struck out 25.4% of hitters while walking just 6.1% in that stretch, and has limited home runs well.
L.A. also made a push to acquire Bader at to the 2025 trade deadline, but the outfielder was ultimately sent to the Philadelphia Phillies.
The 31-year-old is coming off the best season of his career, where he hit .277/.347/.449 with 17 home runs, 61 runs scored and 54 RBI with a 122 wRC+ across 146 games, giving him 3.2 WAR.
Bader likely hit better in 2025 than what can be expected moving forward as he’s a career .247/.313/.401 hitter. But he also provides speed and defensive ability that make him a valuable player even with some drop off in offensive production.
Bader is projected to sign a two-year deal worth around $15 million annually, according to Fangraphs.
Dodgers won’t be bidding on top free agents
While the Dodgers will continue to be linked to some of the top names available, don’t expect them to make any significant moves this offseason.
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
