Suffice to say, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ best-laid plans this offseason have gone by the wayside.
Zack Greinke, said to be their top free-agent priority, was seemingly stolen in the 11th hour by the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzjia, believed to be backup options to Greinke, both signed with the San Francisco Giants.
There’s also the failed trade for Cincinnati Reds closer Aroldis Chapman. While an eventual deal may not be completely out of the question, it doesn’t appear to be on the horizon.
Most recently, the Dodgers’ agreement with Hisashi Iwakuma has come undone amid a reported failed physical. Still searching for a starting pitcher, the Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays are in trade talks for Jake Odorizzi, per Jon Heyman of CBS Sports:
Dodgers are in talks with rays about jake odorizzi
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) December 17, 2015
Odorizzi, 25, was taken by the Milwaukee Brewers in the first round (32nd overall) in 2008 draft. He made his Major-League debut with the Kansas City Royals in 2012, starting two games.
Odorizzi has otherwise received the bulk of his experience with the Rays. He’s coming coming off a season in which he went 9-9 with a 3.35 ERA, 3.61 FIP and 1.15 WHIP. The right-hander averaged eight strikeouts per nine innings and set a career-high with 169.1 innings pitched.
However, Odorizzi also missed time last season due to an oblique strain. He is controllable for the next four years and is eligible for salary arbitration after the 2016 season.
Odorizzi is a lifetime 20-24 with a 3.77 ERA, 102 ERA+, 3.73 FIP and 1.22 WHIP in 68 games (65 starts). The Dodgers may consider pursuing a trade for Chris Archer, though the Rays aren’t expected to seriously entertain trade offers for the prized righty.
