The Los Angeles Dodgers entered the offseason with several holes to address in their starting rotation as Clayton Kershaw, Tyler Anderson and Andrew Heaney all reached free agency.
While the Dodgers were quick to re-sign Kershaw to a one-year contract for the 2023 season, they saw Anderson and Heaney join the Los Angeles Angels and Texas Rangers, respectively.
With at least one more void to fill, the Dodgers are expecting to acquire another starting pitcher in the coming weeks. “There’s some certain guys that are off the board, obviously. But we’re still looking and have a long way to go,” manager Dave Roberts said.
As Roberts pointed out, many of the top free-agent starting pitchers have signed elsewhere, including Jacob deGrom, Justin Verlander, Kodai Senga and Chris Bassitt. Among the top options still on the board are Carlos Rodón, Nathan Eovaldi and Noah Syndergaard.
However, if the Dodgers do add another starting pitcher this offseason, it will likely be someone who’s under the radar. “I think what we did with Tyler sort of makes sense for this offseason, yes,” Roberts said.
The Dodgers signed Anderson to a one-year, $8 million contract during Spring Training after an inconsistent 2021 campaign with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Seattle Mariners, and he proceeded to enjoy the best season of his career.
One pitcher the Dodgers reportedly have interest in is Seth Lugo, who hasn’t been a full-time starter since the 2017 season.
Dodgers starting rotation could benefit from youth movement
Part of why the Dodgers may be reluctant to sign a starting pitcher to a multi-year contract is because prospects Bobby Miller, Ryan Pepiot and Gavin Stone could contribute as soon as the 2023 season.
“We’ve got some guys in the hopper that I know are going to be able to backfill on the pitching side,” Roberts said.
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