The Los Angeles Dodgers may have broken their 32-year World Series drought, but that doesn’t mean that president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman is satisfied moving forward.
Friedman has built an absolute juggernaut in his time with the Dodgers, winning the National League West every year while also maintaining a top-five farm system.
He made a big move last offseason in effort to to get the Dodgers over the top, acquiring Mookie Betts from the Boston Red Sox in a blockbuster trade. While a deal of that nature doesn’t occur every year, it appears Friedman plans to be aggressive again this offseason to improve the club in hopes of repeating as champions in 2021.
In an interview on MLB Network Radio, Friedman listed a right-handed bat as his top priority this offseason:
“I think a right-handed bat. With our positional versatility and flexibility, we have some options on where that possibly could fit. Trying to get a little bit more balanced without tipping too far the other way is where we’re focused.”
As far as right-handed hitting position players go, the obvious name for the Dodgers is third baseman Justin Turner, who has been one of the team’s leaders and biggest stars over the last handful of years.
Turner is a free agent this offseason and despite being on the verge of turning 36 years old, he still has plenty of left in the tank, as was evident during the Dodgers’ 2020 postseason run. It’s no secret that the Long Beach native loves playing in L.A., so it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Dodgers bring him back this winter.
One other option if the Dodgers look to add a right-handed bat from within is Kiké Hernandez, who is also a free agent. Hernandez is more of a utility than everyday player for the Dodgers though and could get a lucrative offer elsewhere to play every day.
Other options available
If the Dodgers are unable to re-sign Turner, other premium right-handed bat options available in free agency include George Springer, DJ LeMahieu, Marcell Ozuna and Marcus Semien.
The trade market also has superstars like Francisco Lindor and Nolan Arenado available, although it was recently reported that re-signing Turner is a more likely scenario for the Dodgers.
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