Now that the 2020 Major League Baseball season has come and gone and the Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman is hard at work trying to improve their roster with the goal of repeating in 2021.
When identifying areas of need moving forward, Friedman listed adding a right-handed power bat as perhaps the team’s top priority. Because of that, it comes as no surprise that the Dodgers have already been linked to the best right-handed bat available on the trade market in Colorado Rockies star third baseman Nolan Arenado.
With rumor season officially underway, DodgerBlue.com’s Jeff Spiegel and Daniel Starkand recorded an episode of “DodgerHeads” to discuss the possibility of L.A. trading for Arenado and how he would fit on the team.
Arenado is from Southern California and grew up a Dodgers fan, so there is no doubt that he would waive his full no-trade clause.
What would the Dodgers have to give up to get him though? And is it worth it to acquire Arenado, who would be under contract for six more seasons at an average annual value of $32 million, if that means losing some of the organization’s most talented players down the road once they hit free agency?
One part of the trade rumor was that the Dodgers acquiring Arenado would likely mean they wouldn’t be able to pay Corey Seager long-term money when he hits free agency after the 2021 season.
So that is certainly something for Friedman to consider before pulling the trigger on a trade for Arenado. In addition there’s also the aspect of what it would mean for free agent Justin Turner’s future with the team since they both play third base.
There are a lot of factors at play here, but to add a player like Arenado to an already-talented roster may be too good of an opportunity for the Dodgers to pass up.
Conflicting reports on Dodgers’ plans
Prior to the Arenado trade rumor, the Dodgers already were said to be more likely to re-sign Turner than acquire Francisco Lindor or the Rockies’ All-Star.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events and more!
