In a matter of hours on Monday the Los Angeles Dodgers essentially addressed two of their remaining pressing needs by agreeing to terms with Kenley Jansen and inching closer to re-signing Justin Turner.
Jansen will again anchor the bullpen, but the Dodgers next figure to add one or two relief pitchers, while also addressing their need at second base. Beyond Jansen, the reliever Los Angeles to this point has most often been linked to is free agent Greg Holland.
His market figures to include teams who missed on the likes of Aroldis Chapman, Jansen and Mark Melancon. Though in the Dodgers’ case, they presumably view Holland as a potential set-up man.
But if the 31-year-old will command a multiyear contract, that may rule out the Dodgers, who only wish to sign relievers to one-year deals, per Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports:
Sources: #Dodgers, if they sign another reliever, will not go beyond one year. Could take them out of Holland market if he wants multi-year.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 12, 2016
The Dodgers reportedly were among the teams to meet with Holland at the Winter Meetings, and have since maintained contact with the former Kansas City Royals closer.
As for the apparent desire to sign relievers to one-year contracts, last offseason the Dodgers added Joe Blanton and Louis Coleman under such circumstances. Coleman was productive until his season was thrown off course by shoulder fatigue, and Blanton emerged as a trustworthy set-up man.
Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman has a history of signing relievers to short-term contracts and piecing together a successful bullpen.
That was the largely the case in 2016 as Los Angeles relievers combined for a 3.70 ERA that ranked fifth in the Majors and .674 opponents’ on-base plus slugging percentage that was second-best.
