A rash of injuries prevented the Los Angeles Dodgers from being able to leverage what appeared to be a wealth of pitching depth this season, and now their starting rotation is an area that needs to be addressed during the winter.
Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer are both free agents, and though they never threw a pitch for the Dodgers this past season, so too are Danny Duffy and Cole Hamels. Meanwhile, the likes of Tony Gonsolin and David Price each dealt with injury and inconsistent performance in 2021.
The Dodgers are expected to have interest in re-signing Kershaw and Scherzer, but retaining the latter may prove to be more unlikely and require the team to look elsewhere for starting pitching.
According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Dodgers are among teams with interest in Andrew Heaney:
The quiet period ends at 5pm today and if you are looking for a quick sign in this market keep an eye on Andrew Heaney. Lots of teams looking for the next Robbie Ray and Heaney struck out 27 pct of batters. Hear #Dodgers #Bluejays #Nationals #StLCards among the interested
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) November 7, 2021
Signing Heaney would represent a reunion of sorts as the Dodgers acquired the left-hander as part of a trade with the Miami Marlins in December 2014. However, Heaney’s time with the organization lasted all but a few hours as he was then traded to the L.A. Angels for Howie Kendrick.
Heaney remained with the Angels until being sent to the New York Yankees at the trade deadline this past season.
Heaney went a combined 8-9 with a 5.83 ERA and 1.32 WHIP in 30 games (23 starts) for the clubs. The No. 9 overall pick from the 2012 Draft struggled upon joining the Yankees’ rotation and was moved into the bullpen.
That still didn’t produce many positive results, which prompted the Yankees to option Heaney to their Rookie Level affiliate at the end of September and he was not with the team during the postseason.
Heaney was designated for assignment during the first week of October and elected for free agency rather than accepting an outright Minor League assignment.
Dodgers focused on pitching
Given the landscape of their current roster, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman acknowledged starting pitching would be a focal point this offseason, whether through free agency or potential trades.
Friedman added the club would be willing to engage any free agents who may look to sign prior to the current MLB collective bargaining agreement (CBA) expiring at 8:59 p.m. PT on Dec. 1 and a potential lockout taking effect.
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