The Los Angeles Dodgers entered the offseason with three left-handed starters in Clayton Kershaw, Tyler Anderson and Andrew Heaney reaching the free agency, which has made adding to their rotation a priority.
They already reportedly agreed to a deal with Kershaw and extended Anderson the $19.65 million qualifying offer hoping he would return to solidify their rotation. However, Anderson reportedly agreed to a deal with the L.A. Angels on Tuesday afternoon.
The deal with the Angels is for three years with an average annual value of $13 million for a total of $39 million. Although the Dodgers offered a higher annual value with the qualifying offer, it would have been over one year rather than three.
The Dodgers likely discussed other contract scenarios with the 2022 All-Star, but according to Juan Toribio of MLB.com, they were unwilling to give Anderson a third year in any contract:
correction here: #Dodgers weren't going to get to the three-year range.
— Juan Toribio (@juanctoribio) November 15, 2022
The Dodgers originally signed Anderson to a one-year, $8 million deal last offseason. Anderson started the year in the bullpen but he became a key member of the rotation, going 15-5 with a 2.57 ERA, 3.31 FIP and 1.00 WHIP over 30 games (28 starts). He set career-best marks in wins, ERA, ERA+ (163), WHIP, and strikeout to walk ratio (4.06).
With Anderson now set to join a new team, the Dodgers will receive a compensation pick after the fourth round of the 2023 MLB Draft, and they should turn their sights to other free agent pitchers to fill the void.
Potential Dodgers pitching targets in free agency
With Anderson and Kershaw off the market, the remaining options in free agency include Justin Verlander, Jacob deGrom, Carlos Rodón, Chris Bassitt, Nathan Eovaldi, Taijuan Walker, Jameson Taillon, Michael Wacha, Ross Stripling, Mike Clevinger, Noah Syndergaard, José Quintana, Zach Eflin, Sean Manaea, and Heaney.
Of that group, deGrom, Rodón, Bassitt and Eovaldi received the qualifying offer, which would cost the Dodgers draft pick compensation to sign any of them.
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