This story was excerpted from Juan Toribio’s Dodgers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
SAN DIEGO — It was a quiet Winter Meetings for the Dodgers, something that has become somewhat expected over the last few seasons. But just as has been the case in years past, that certainly doesn’t mean the Dodgers will remain silent this winter.
In 2020, Los Angeles made the biggest splash of the offseason by acquiring Mookie Betts from the Red Sox in February. Two years ago, the club signed Trevor Bauer in January. Last season, albeit in different circumstances, Freddie Freeman became a Dodger in March.
Is a move of that magnitude out there for the Dodgers this winter? That’s unlikely. But there are players that could fit this team. Let’s take a look at a few targets and where they would fit.
On the field, signing Correa makes a lot of sense for the Dodgers. Correa gives the Dodgers some edge, a postseason performer and one of the best shortstops in the Majors, a position of need after Trea Turner left for Philadelphia earlier this week.
In any other life, the Dodgers would be meeting with Correa and his representatives trying to lock up their next franchise player to a multi-year deal. In this life, however, Correa played for the 2017 Astros, making things a little more complicated.
Because of Correa’s involvement in the Astros’ cheating scandal, the Dodgers are sensitive to the potential negative fan reaction. Only three players remain from the 2017 Dodgers, but it’s still an unusual situation, one that makes it unlikely Correa ends up in Los Angeles.
Like Correa, Rodón would also make sense for the Dodgers, who are looking to add another frontline-type starter to the rotation. The left-hander, however, has a preference of playing away from the West Coast and will be demanding a lucrative multi-year contract, something the Dodgers aren’t comfortable offering, especially with Julio Urías, former Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell and two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani set to become free agents next winter.
Of the free agents left on the market, Kiermaier is a center fielder that makes a lot of sense for the Dodgers. Kiermaier is recovering from season-ending hip surgery, but he’s ramping up and will be ready for Spring Training, according to a source.
When healthy, Kiermaier can give the Dodgers about the same production Cody Bellinger delivered the last two seasons. More importantly, however, Kiermaier is a three-time Gold Glove Award winner, which would give the team the level of defense it needs to replace at the position. There’s mutual interest here.
McCutchen’s fit is intriguing, and there’s interest on both sides. The 36-year-old could give the Dodgers a right-handed bat off the bench, similar to what Hanser Alberto provided last season. McCutchen posted a .738 OPS against lefties last season.
Martinez is another right-handed option, but he’ll need much more playing time than just a bench role. The Dodgers were very interested in Martinez at the Trade Deadline and have shown interest again since then.