The Los Angeles Dodgers have been rather quiet on the free agent market to this point as so far their only Major League signings have been bringing back Clayton Kershaw, Hyun-Jin Ryu and David Freese and inking reliever Joe Kelly to a three-year contract.
They have been linked to the big name free agents, Bryce Harper and Manny Machado, at various times, although due to their unwillingness to give them a 10-year contract offer, it seems unlikely that either player ends up in Los Angeles.
After trading Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp though, the Dodgers do have a need for an outfielder, particularly one that is right-handed as Cody Bellinger, Joc Pederson, Alex Verdugo and Andrew Toles all hit lefty.
One name who could fit the bill is A.J. Pollock, who the Dodgers are very familiar with considering he spent the last seven seasons with the division-rival Arizona Diamondbacks.
According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Pollock is someone the Dodgers are showing interest in at the moment:
Hearing increasing chatter about #Dodgers’ interest in free-agent outfielder A.J. Pollock. No indication a deal is close, but he is a target for them. Offers ability to play CF and RH balance. Bellinger, Pederson, Toles, Verdugo all LH. Taylor and Hernandez RH, but also play IF.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 19, 2019
Pollock is believed to be seeking a contract similar to the five-year, $80 million deal that Lorenzo Cain signed with the Milwaukee Brewers a year ago. With free agency moving as slow as it is though considering many teams are unwilling to spend, the Dodgers may be able to get him for cheaper than that.
The 31-year-old has dealt with a multitude of injuries throughout his career and has not played a full season since 2015. In 113 games in 2018, he slashed .257/.316/.484 with 21 home runs, 65 RBI and 13 stolen bases.
Not many teams have shown interest in Pollock this winter, although that could change once Harper and Machado find new homes. So if the Dodgers want to land the outfielder then it may be best to put out an offer sooner than later.
Pollock rejected a qualifying offer from the Diamondbacks at the beginning of the winter, so the Dodgers would need to sacrifice a draft pick if they were to sign him.
