Having re-signed Rich Hill and Justin Turner and reportedly agreed to terms with Kenley Jansen, the offseason can be classified as a success for the Los Angeles Dodgers. That being said, the club has voids that must still be addressed.
Chief among them is at second base, where Brian Dozier may be an answer. Los Angeles and the Minnesota Twins reportedly have held trade talks over the past two months, and the Twins are believed to be nearing a decision.
Beyond that, the Dodgers need to round out their bullpen. Joe Blanton, who filled a key role last season, remains a free agent, and Yimi Garcia was essentially lost for all of 2017 when he underwent Tommy John surgery in October.
According to Jon Morosi of MLB Network, the Dodgers are considering signing Neftali Feliz:
#Dodgers looking for right-hander who can pitch 8th inning; Neftali Feliz is among the options they are considering, sources say. @MLB
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) January 6, 2017
Feliz went 4-2 and pitched to a 3.52 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 4.52 FIP while appearing in 62 games for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Much of Feliz’s struggles link back to his 1.7 HR/9 and 19.2 home run/fly ball percentage in 53.2 innings pitched
Feliz did strike out 10.2 batters per nine innings and walked 3.5 per nine, which were the second- and third-best marks of his career, respectively. All things considered, it was a bounce-back season for the 28-year-old who struggled in 2015 with the Detroit Tigers and Texas Rangers.
Whether Feliz or another option, the Dodgers reportedly are only interested in singing a reliever to a one-year contract. Former Kansas City Royals closer Greg Holland is another reliever the Dodgers have been connected to.
In November, Dodgers general manager Farhan Zaidi named Blanton among the club’s offseason priorities. His market, as well as that of second-tier relievers, was expected to pick up after Aroldis Chapman, Jansen and Mark Melancon came off the board.
